


Into Eternity

by FujiDawn



Series: And we, too, could be glorious [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darker in later chapters, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Trauma, Fluff, Genderbending, Genderfluid, Grief/Mourning, Infinity Gems, Multi, Not Thor: The Dark World Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post Mpreg, Romance, Smut, Trauma, Uncle Thor, Weddings, a bit at least, deteriorating, even though I don't know what that exactly means, mascara alert, that are still called Stones in the MCU, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-01-09 01:23:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 108,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FujiDawn/pseuds/FujiDawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Algrim is still on the run, Ásdís grows a lot faster than anyone would have expected (author included) and there are matters to attend that will finally throw everything into balance.<br/>The Third part of "And we, too, could be glorious".</p><p>Be warned, though. The Title (and therefore its connection to "Thor - The Dark World") has been chosen with care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lazy Vacation

 

 

„Pumpkin, not my-“

CLANK.

„-suit. Damn.“

“I believe Mr. Stark warned you that this would be a likely outcome of your endeavour, Sir.”

“Alright, J, buddy, another word and you'll be donated to SHIELD.”

The AI went silent as obnoxious as it could being silent and a machine. Of course, being Tony Stark's AI almost guaranteed being a perfect pain in the ass.

“Daddy!”, a gleeful, high voice said, and another 'clank' resonated from the concrete walls of Tony's lab in Malibu as Ásdís brought one of the miniature screwdrivers her father had given her down onto the Iron Man foot, marking it with another long scratch and petting it afterwards. The engineer winced.

“Okay, banshee, time-out. No harming my poor suit.”

Before she could inflict another blemish to the varnish, Tony had scooped her up and playfully wrestled with her to get the tool back, making her giggle and almost smack him on the head with it, smiling wide.

“Your Mom was right. No tools for little asgardian toddlers before they turn two.”

“Let me down!”, she demanded once she knew to be carried away from her favourite plaything down in the lab (namely the suits), and Tony groaned and rolled his eyes, but did what she wanted and set her to her feet. The girl promptly returned from where she had come, back to the MarkIV, which was a magnet drawing her in time and time again, cooing at it and petting it like a dog, always making sure to look back to her daddy and checking if he was still there.

Well, at least Tony had rid her of the weapons – screwdrivers, he meant. Screwdrivers with very sharp edges, apparently.

“And no colour changes this time, are we clear? Not using him does not mean you can play drawing book with him.”

“Daddy is better in gween!”

Another groan as she slapped her hand on the leg and left a handprint in exactly the same shade as Loki's cape.

“Okay, you know what – knock yourself out. Go Picasso or Monet or Michelangelo, I don't care. I'll be here sulking until you're old enough to understand what you did.”

“It is always a pleasure to see you act your age, darling.”, a cool voice interrupted his bantering, drawling the words in annoyed flamboyance but with so much underlying amusement that Tony only winked at the newcomer and blew him a kiss.

“Hey, not my fault she thinks your colours have to be on everything.”

“She surely has inherited my sense of style.”

And gods, that had Tony snort and guffaw as he looked at his husband – lazy ass. Sweatpants three times too large, dangling dangerously close to falling from slim hips, a soft green tunic with leathern laces (okay, that one really had style. It complimented Loki's pale complexion extraordinarily). His shoulder-length black hair was pulled back in a messy Ponytail and his feet were tucked into fluffy slippers (thanks to Clint they all had a pair of extremely comfy house shoes in their respective colour).

Yeah. If there wasn't a little girl in the vicinity Loki would be flat on his back in under four seconds, Tony atop, and the lab under lockdown for the unforeseeable future. His husband had that absolutely perfect 'out-of-bed-look'. Shame.

“Granted, I seem to still possess mine.”

He was pinched for that – worth it, because the kiss that followed had him panting for more and oh gods where was everybody? There was a little girl's virtue at risk. Someone had to rescue her before she had to watch her parents go at it. Stupid superheroes – always gone in exactly the single moment one needed them.

“Don't even think about it as long as we're not alone.”

Damn.

“... we could use the stairs and let Jarvis watch her? Dummy loves her, and he always never messes up around her.”

Loki shot him an annoyed look as he dislodged himself from the engineer and made his way over to their daughter.

“Patience, Stark, your needs will be satisfied eventually. Surely you still know how to take care of yourself?”

Bastard. His husband bent down to pick up Ásdís, greeting and kissing her with soft voice and gentle lips, causing Tony to smile like a fool, love-stricken and blissful.

When had this become his life?

Oh, don't bother answering – he knew well enough.

A decade ago, Tony would have laughed his ass off if anyone ever had dared predicting domesticity would be what ruled his life. That he would marry, and not just because of some farce, but because he really wanted it – wanted to share his life, his heart, _everything_ with another.

He had known, somewhere deep inside, that his life had been changed irrevocably when Loki – Solveig – had cried her eyes out in his embrace. Tony knew he was an idiot in whatever emotional matter, but with Loki it seemed somewhat easier to deal with (commitment issues deftly put aside, thank you very much), almost as if for this one person, he could do the right thing.

The God had returned it tenfold.

Loki had soothed the fear that had seized hold of him, after the brief glimpse into a dark and waste nothing. He had cured Tony of his irrational habit of pushing away people who liked him (and whom he liked in return), at least to an extend. Loki had been the one to acknowledge his need for being Iron Man, and had never even tried to talk him out of the suit. He had silently accepted and lately even helped with building the newest one – reinforced with uru instead of titanium, and _hell_ would he be invincible when this baby was finished – helping him create a legacy (besides marketing the greenest energy earth had ever seen) that would make Yinsen proud someday.

“Say goodnight, darling, I already hear a nap calling just for you.”

“Good night Daddy!”, Ásdís cooed at Tony when Loki carried her back, stretching out her little arms to him in search of the hug she always got beforehand. The genius smiled, took her and cuddled her until she giggled, peppering her face with smoochies and lifting her up in the air.

“Sleep tight, Pumpkin.”, he said and placed her back in Loki's arms, where she snuggled into his neck and yawned. The sorcerer smiled and patted her back.

“Give me five minutes to put her down.”

“Whatever you want. Come back after? I need a little help with a plate.”

A nod, and then both were gone, and Tony was alone again.

He sighed with a smile on his face. Hell, he loved his life.

It took a bit more than fifteen minutes for his alien husband to return to him, Jarvis without doubt ordered to watch her like a hawk. Heh. On another note - it was hilarious how Clint was constantly looking at her when he thought no one would notice.

“What's so funny?”, Loki asked, eyebrow raised in question. Tony chuckled.

“Clint's living up to his name is all.”

“Ah, I understand. He is rather taken with her, is he not?”, the god snickered, closing in on the other, pressing him to the workbench with his arms on both sides of Tony's body.

“Of course, who would not? She is adorable.”, the smaller man replied with a smug grin, lightly tracing Loki's flanks with nimble fingers, making him shudder a little.

“Mh.”, the black haired man affirmed, head already bowed to meet the soft skin between neck and shoulder, nipping and biting gently, wringing a low moan out of his husband.

“Sit.”, Loki hissed into his ear, pulling him from the bench and into the chair, all the while teasing with his lips and teeth.

“What're you planning?”, Tony huffed out, already half-hard against his lover's hips, mind providing delicious and dirty images in his mind.

Loki smirked, green eyes half-lidded and dark with desire.

“You do not want me to spoil the surprise, now do you?”, he said, voice husky and laden with need.

Tony groaned anew. New images flooded his inner eye, and he closed them briefly when Loki sneaked his long and ridiculously talented fingers to his belt and fly, making quick work of them.

His pants were tugged down to his ankles, cool hands pushed his thighs apart, and the engineer had to stifle a moan when he opened his eyes again, seeing his personal deity sinking down to his knees with glinting eyes and a cocky smirk.

Holy hell, the thought about what Loki was going to do alone made him almost cum on the spot.

Leaning back his head against the chair, he bit his lip and slid down on the soft leather minutely, making his husband chuckle darkly.

“Ever so eager.”, he said in hushed tones, probably still wearing that cheeky grin, and in the next second, slender and strong hands clasped his hips, hot breath ghosted over his cock, making it twitch with anticipation, while the god eyed his prey.

And gods, Tony felt like prey under that hungry and wanting stare. Loki was a predator, a damn gorgeous and sexy predator, and the genius would not even think about resisting.

Another puff of blazing air hit him, prompting Tony to shift a bit under the fierce hold his lover had on him, trying to move along the promised action.

The prick in front of him chuckled and breathed out more of his air onto Tony's cock.

“Fucking hell, Lokes, go on already!”, he growled, getting back another chuckle – of course – but _finally_ the taller one had mercy and gave a tentative lick to the head of his dick.

Fucking. Tease.

A second short lap just with the tip of his tongue, and what a skilled tongue that was, Tony knew from experience, so what he wanted right now was that tongue wrapped tightly around his prick, not just this too slow and too little contact.

“Oh come on already, I'm dying here!”, Tony whined, hands firmly gripping the chair's armrests as not to bury them in the dark locks dangling in front of his crotch and simply _taking_ what was offered and not delivered.

A third lick. He shot his husband an annoyed glare, which was answered with a wide smirk and beautiful green eyes lit with mirth and mischief.

“I swear, if you do not get to it immediately I will hurl you upstairs and tie you to the goddamnfucking bed and just have my wicked way with you.”, he hissed out. “Exactly as slowly as you are going now, and I'll not care about a _single w_ \--”

Whatever word should have followed was wiped out clean from his brain and vocal cords as Loki took him into his mouth as deep as he could without actually deepthroating him, eliciting a wanton whine out of Tony, hands wound tight around the chair's plastic.

“Ah-- _yes!_ God fucking hell. Fuck, Loki, _more_ -!”, he panted out, barely concious as to what he was saying, while trying to concentrate on the swift motions Loki's tongue danced around his cock.

“Gods, your tongue isn't silver, this is pure ambrosia.”, Tony babbled and his husband chose this moment to hollow out his cheek and suck him into his hot mouth a bit more, and the engineer could feel the back of his throat, making him tense and relax at the same time.

“So good, babe, could do this forever. You're so fucking good and perfect, exactly like this, _yesss_ , more of that please, Sweet Pea, don't stop. I--”

A sharp inhale of breath as Loki swallowed him whole.

It was divine.

Sneaking a peak down to the figure on his knees before him, Tony panted, harshly sucking in big gulps of breath, trying to hold onto that perfect feeling of his cock engulfed by wet heat and tight muscles, and thanked whomever thought it wise to send Loki down to him.

Never in his life had there been a picture that had him more aroused than the God of Mischief on his knees before him, eagerly choking on his cock, cat-like eyes trained firmly on his lover's face, challenge in his gaze.

What challenge? Challenge? Huh?

The sorcerer swallowed, and Tony melted into a heap of pleasure as his throat constricted around his prick, all thought gone, replaced by feelings and sensory stimulation that reduced him to a state of utter imbecility.

His own tongue could not form clear words any more, even if he wanted it to, not when his husband's slick muscle traced patterns and drew pictures on his manhood in the attempt to overload his brain with stimuli. Paired with the swallowing throat, he was rather victorious.

Petting the soft, black hair under his hands and between his fingers – wait. When had he relocated his limbs? Had his arms not been on the armrests just a second earlier?

Whatever – Loki swallowed again, gently bobbing up and down on his cock. Tony heard a whimper and belatedly recognized it to be his own.

He was too far gone to care. He let his head fall back, eyes closed, entire awareness focused on the divine entity who was his alone, his for eternity, his to love and cherish and worship, and he would do it even more gladly if Loki kept up what he was doing to him.

A hand raked down his torso, nails softly scratching over his skin, leaving goosebumps in its trail, and Tony looked down again, eyes glazed and heavy with lust.

The god looked at him from eyes similar ablaze with passion, and let his lover's cock slide free with an obscenely wet sound that the engineer was sure he had practised to perfection.

“You are mine, Anthony.”, he rasped with a voice like a good scotch, rough, smoky, breathy, husky, and strumming every single nerve in Tony's body to play like he wanted it to as he depicted the perfect mix of absolute domination and total submission.

It did not take ten seconds for the engineer to spend himself in the warm mouth once it surrounded him again. Sensory overload complete – he shut his eyes and zoned out in post-coital bliss.

He heard Loki chuckle lowly while clothes rustled – apparently the Trickster had left his place on the floor – and blinked rapidly after his breath had returned to a more normal pace, as well as his heart.

“Do you have any gag reflex whatsoever?”, he asked with a huff, what had his husband grin widely.

“Ah well, things a God does not need.”

Tony snorted and pulled his pants up again, legs still a bit wobbly after that mind-blowing – heh, pun – orgasm.

“Really? None of you have a gag reflex?”

“Perhaps the lesser ones – a powerful God like me however...”, Loki said in his best 'I am better than you, kneel before me'-voice, humour shining in his dark green eyes.

Tony cocked up an eyebrow and gave him a look.

“Okay, oh powerful God, deity to be worshipped by all humans and mortals alike-” ha, Tony saw exactly how difficult it was for Loki to keep a straight face at that, “need help yourself?”, he asked and threw a pointed look to the baggy sweatpants he wore, and somewhere under the cloth there had to be the same hardness he just had sucked from Tony with his brilliant and perhaps naturally gifted mouth.

“Not necessarily, no. I'm fine.”, Loki said, smiling warmly and flexed his jaws once before swallowing down some of Tony's coffee to get rid of the aftertaste a blowjob left – neither the sorcerer nor Tony were especially fond of semen, but would tolerate it in favour of fun.

“Aw, come on, lemme repay you. You've earned a very special reward, Bambi, I really thought you would let me do it alone.”, he pouted, snatching the cup out of Loki's hands to set it down again and kiss his husband possessively. Ah, there it was. Damn trousers, hiding all the beautiful evidence.

Gripping the narrow hips in front of him and gently pressing against his lover, he got a soft shudder and a minuscule mewl that was lost in their kiss. Tony grinned.

“How did I earn such a treat like you down on your knees for me?”

“I just felt like it. Besides, did you really think I would take the banshee to her nap looking like that without some ulterior motive?”, Loki responded with a smile and tugged at his hair.

“Well then, Mister Plotting and Scheming, not to forget always impeccably well dressed God of Style when not seducing me, swing your delectable behind up into the bedroom and I'll happily go down on you for as long as we still have a nap-time.”


	2. Birthday Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's July 19th, 2020. It's a birthday party. :D

 

 

“Have you thought to inform the Caterer?”

Tony groaned.

“For the last time, Lokes, give me some credit. Everything is as you wanted it to be.”

“She's turning two only this once.”

“I know, Sweet Pea, and I have done everything you have said. Her beach party will be the one we'll tell her grandchildren of.”

He would go crazy if all of Ásdís' following birthday parties would entail a perfectly planned feast worthy of an asgardian princess without Pepper there to help him through the preparations. Why again had he proposed they go to Malibu all on their own without any of their friends and family?

Oh right – he wanted to be alone for a few days just with his husband and daughter.

“The jet's already on its way to get all of them here in time. Don't panic. All will be as you want it to be – I have taken care of everything.”

Loki doubtfully looked up from his notepad.

“You remembered to book a clown?”

Tony's mouth fell open.

“Clown? What clown? You never said anything about a clown!”

Shit, Loki would kill him.

“It surely was on the list I gave you. The one with the detailed information as to what I wanted.”

Double Shit. He was sure to never have received something like that.

“Sweetie, you did not.”

“Oh I am quite sure I did.”  
“Not to sound rude, but you did not.”

Treading carefully here – Loki was not known for his great patience if something did not go exactly like he wanted it to.

A look into his lovers face told Tony he had lost the game seconds ago. An audible gulp escaped him.

There was a murderous gleam in his husbands eyes, and the engineer was already stumbling to bring a bit of space between his body and the potential death sentence that was his husband.

“Lokes, seriously, no one ever gave me such a list – I swear I find a clown for tomorrow on short notice, it's not- you fucking bitch.”, he ground out as the sorcerer failed to keep his face straight and broke down in laughter.

“A clown!”, he huffed out, doubling over in amusement. “You should have seen your face!”

“I hate you.”, Tony said, bewilderment and stunned disbelief in his voice. “You'll never get any birthday presents ever again, you just wait!”

“Aww, I'm sorry.”, Loki said, but his eyes betrayed him with a force that had Tony pout.

“Douche bag. You're an asshole.”, he said, emphasizing the insult with raised voice and retreated to the stairs.

“Just for that, I'll lock myself away in my lab and repaint the MarkVI – again – because your daughter still seems to think he needs to be green.”

Loki grinned and raised a brow.

“She told me that the metal man are you, and not her loud uncle, and her way to make that clear is to get rid of Thor's distinctive colour.”

Tony opened his mouth to answer, but the second he needed to think about a witty comeback his brain registered that this made perfect sense.

Damn.

“I still hate you for freaking me out. And now you have to deal with everything else all on your own! Ha. Deserved that one.”

“Of course, darling.”, the idiotic Prince he had chosen to marry drawled in an amused voice that made his eyelid twitch in irritation.

Calm, Tony. Keep calm.

“Love, it was a joke. Forgive me.”, Loki said in a gentle and soft voice, crossing the room in four long strides and wrapped himself snugly around the pouting genius, nuzzling his neck.

The man that had become Iron Man in a cave sighed and melted into the embrace.

“How can I still fall for that after seven fucking years?”

“God of Mischief, dear. Thor falls for my illusions to this day.”

“Yes, yes, I know. So, where is my little sunshine? I probably need her help. The painting fumes can be quite a bitch. And she is so much faster than a normal job would take.”

Loki snorted and hummed against his neck.

“Still not abandoned your hotrod red?”

“Ha!”, Tony snorted back, tugging his husband along in search for their daughter.

“I've done eight years in red, the green kind of grew on me all of a sudden.”

The god laughed.

 

 

“Daddy, comes Peppy too?”

“Yes, Pumpkin. Aunt Pepper is already on her way.”

“And Nattie and Boozie?”

Tony laughed.

“They're coming as well. No one would miss your big day.”

Ásdís grinned brightly and cuddled up to him as they lay in bed and waited for Loki to appear and read their bed-time story.

“Does Uncle Toto bwing Mo?”, she asked excited and patted his chest, jumping around on his torso and making him go 'Oomph!', so he plucked her from his stomach and raised her in the air above.

“Have you ever seen your Uncle without his hammer?”

“No! Higher!”, she gurgled and stretched out arms and legs in a starfish-position, while Tony blew a raspberry on her belly (poking out of her shirt), making her giggle even more, folding down into herself again.

“Daddy! Stop! No tickling!”, she pleaded, but her father was relentless and started poking her sides, too. She squealed and screeched, utterly amused.

“Papa! Daddy's mean! Paaaaaaapaaaaa!”

“Aw, don't rat me out to your Mum! He'll punish me!”, the engineer whispered frightfully and let her go, making her chuckle as he ducked under the covers and followed him in a heartbeat.

“Oh good, let's play hide and seek, as long as we don't see him, he can't see us as well, right?”, the brown-eyed man said as earnest as he could as he cuddled his daughter to his chest, who grabbed his shirt and pressed herself to him as close as she could, trying hard to stifle her laughter and chuckling in an attempt to hide from her Mother-Father-figure.

“Shh!”, Tony breathed and shuffled more of the covers over them as footsteps approached and suddenly stopped.

Ásdís giggled. Papa would never find them. He couldn't see them.

“I could swear I heard voices from here. Hm. Tony and Ásdís must be somewhere else. Pity, I had such a good tale planned for tonight.”, Loki said, and that had the girl squirm out of her daddy's arms, kicking him and bashing her elbows into his ribs painfully (he'd deny the wince later), sticking her head out from under the sheets and blaring “Stowy! Stowy!” at him with gleaming eyes.

The god smirked and leaned against the door frame.

“Ah, there is the first one. My Sweetheart.” Loki cooed, and the little traitor all but stumbled from the big bed into his arms to be peppered with kisses and loving caresses to her hair, sticking out in all directions.

“My lovely child.”, he said gently and with a smile so genuine it lit up his whole face when he brought their foreheads together softly, both going cross-eyed while trying to look into the others eyes.

“My Mapa.”, Ásdís answered and leaned into the hand that combed through her thick black locks.

“Stowy now? I behave, I pwomise.”

Loki laughed softly and walked over to the bed.

“Now, Munchkin, without your father I cannot start. You know that.”

What had her squirm out of a set of arms again, now set on revealing her daddy to her papa, poking the lump under the covers and shrieking in delighted and mock fear as Tony promptly jumped up and caught her with the sheets, pinning her down onto the mattress with a wide smirk.

“Look at that! He was here the whole time! What a surprise!”, Loki said, looking truly staggered, and Tony had to give him credit for being such a perfect actor.

“We were hiding! You can't see us when we can't see you!”, their daughter said ardently and wriggled out of the bedsheets to pull Loki down to both of them.

“Well then, have you brushed your teeth already? No Story without brushed teeth, dearest.”

“Yes, Papa.”, she sighed exasperated and showed her tiny white teeth.

“I'm proud of you, darling. Come here, and I will start.”

Ten minutes later, Ásdís was dead to the world, leaning heavily against Tony and sucking on her thumb. Loki cancelled his beautiful illusion of woods and forests (he had told both his husband and his daughter of dwarves and a treasure so big one had to leave his head for it), and kissed her messy hair with so much affection it made Tony love him all the more.

“You know, Sweet Pea,”, he said and carefully lifted his daughter into his arms to carry her to her own bed one room down the hall, shooting his god a fond and tender look, “when I first met you, the last thing I had envisioned you to become was a parent that dedicated and perfect.”

Loki leaned back against the headboard, eyes closing and lips twitching upwards.

“Same here, you adulator. And speaking of first meetings, you being able to be so gentle has truly surprised me.”

“You big meanie.”

“Always aiming to please.”

Tony mouthed him a kiss and left.

 

 

“Where is my niece? I bear presents!”, the God of Thunder boomed and stepped into the living room, arms full of packages that sent Ásdís in a fit of screeching in joy before she decided to run over and hug his legs.

“Uncle Toto! Uncle Toto! I'm hewe, it's my birthday!”, she screamed at him, and he laughed and crouched down, letting go of the gifts to lift her up and greet her properly – with a strong hug (toned down as not to hurt her, of course) and a remark about her looks, whatever got his attention first.

“I see a new brooch in your hair, maiden fair, and it compliments your beauty well!”

And Ásdís smiled as wide as Thor at that, proudly telling him about the clip Loki had worked into her locks. Presents left forgotten, as well as the other people slowly walking in, they both vanished in their own little world as Thor doted on her like she was the most important woman in his life.

“Rather sad, isn't it, to be substituted by a girl turning two?”, Loki huffed at Jane and crossed his arms as she snorted.

“I always knew he would leave me for someone more his age.”, she replied, making him splutter with laughter while Tony spit a sip of his coffee out of his nose after having failed to contain his own amusement.

“Eww, Stark, you pig!”, Pepper laughed and handed him a handkerchief, hugging him after he had cleaned himself up.

“Where's Rhodey?”, she then wanted to know, making Tony shrug.

“Some secret mission. He'll drop by next week.”

When everyone had put down their suitcases or bags and had something to drink, they relocated to the living room, happily reunited after two weeks of video-feed and audio only.

Loki would have never thought to miss such a big group of people. He, who had always been a loner and content in solitude.

“Pumpkin! There are other guests here for you, too! Some of them you even asked about yesterday!”, Tony called out to his daughter, and her enthusiastic yell for Thor to 'Go!' had them all chuckling and laughing.

The big blonde did what she asked (demanded) of him and brought her to the room with the giant couch and windows. When she caught sight of all her Uncles and Aunts, her eyes lit up with joy and happiness and she whispered a 'Down, Toto!' to Thor (making them snicker once more while remembering the little dog from The Wizard of Oz) and scurrying off to the middle of the room, clearly in dispute as to whom to greet first, looking around frantically.

Both her parents leaned back and grinned at each other – nap-time and getting her into bed this evening would be a walk in the park.

Bruce won the battle. As always, and the scientist was still flabbergasted in the trust the youngest member of their family granted him. Ásdís hurried off to him, climbing his thighs and hugging the hell out of him, while the rest got a wide smile and a hand-wave.

“Hi.”, she said shyly and pressed her face into Bruce's shirt.

Pepper and Clint looked a bit disappointed, but then thought about the day and the time they would spend with all of them – there would be plenty of occasion to have the little girl to themselves.

And yes, they all loved her to hell and back.

“So, we thought since it's so nice and warm out there, we'd relocate to the beach after we have taken care of the present-matter.”, Tony stated, what had Ásdís look up to him in sudden interest.

“You've said that already, else we would have no swimsuits here.”, Nat answered grinning.

“Right. Yes, well, what are we waiting for?”

Clearly not eager to leave her Boozie, the birthday girl waited patiently until all the presents were assembled on the table in front of her, radiating pure bliss when she saw all the colourful wrappings and bows and packages.

“Here, Muffin, since you so deliberately picked Hulk over the Hawk, at least open mine first.”, Clint said and shuffled his present to her, and she sheepishly glanced at him.

“Hulk is gween. I like gween. Papa and Daddy are gween, too.”, she said, but clutched her fingers around the bird-decorated gift and made quick work of the paper.

 

 

Both Bruce and Ásdís had been hardly distinguishable once all the paper had been ripped off and distributed around them, covered in a rainbow assortment of ribbons and wrapping foil.

“What was this about you being green?”, Pepper and Natasha asked while reducing the mess and cramming the trash into a bag.

Tony snickered and had Jarvis display a picture of his newest suit – all gold and green. Steve choked on his drink.

“Yeah, the daughter mine thought me and Thor looked too similar and repainted the Mark's down in the lab, and after I had to spray tan them for the fifth time this week, I chose to simply stick with it.”

Thor's booming laughter surely was heard all the way up to Asgard.

“Also, if she thinks I look better that way, who am I to disagree? I'd probably wear a suit donned in pink and littered with flowers just to make her happy.”

“Brother, she is as clever as you are.”, he said, and both Loki and Tony puffed up proudly at that.

“Well, we did our best.”, the engineer said, earning a blow to the ribs from Pepper and Jane.

“Beach now? Please?”, Ásdís called, already over at the door, trying to get her sandal to stick to her foot. Loki shook his head and made his way over to her with a chuckle.

“Darling, we have to change first.”

“No changing. Beach now!”, she pouted, and her Papa crouched down.

“Tell you what, dearest, we'll get changed together and you may choose what we both wear.”

She thought about that for a few seconds, but then nodded solemn, letting the shoe drop and dragged Loki through the house.

“This could take a while, make yourself at home!”, he called back to his friends and heard their laughter until he and his child arrived in her room.

 

 

“This one?”

“Yes!”

“With this one?”

“U-hu.”

Loki arched a brow and held up the pieces of clothing. A black tankini bottom paired with a dark golden bikini bra (a flimsy thing Tony had bought as a joke – why had they not gotten rid of it yet?). Ásdís frowned.

“No. This.”, she said and threw around Loki's clothing in search of a better match, proudly producing a dark emerald coloured top and exchanged it with the golden thing. She nodded.

“Change now, Papa.”, she ordered.

“First you choose something for yourself, Munchkin, and it better be something worn for swimming.”

It did take his daughter no twenty seconds to race to her room, fetch her favourite swimming suit and return.

“Here. I want this one.”, Ásdís said and handed Loki a bright purple tanksuit with a tutu, printed with small Hulks.

How Natasha had gotten her hands on that one was a mystery, but one that made his daughter a very happy girl indeed – like her father, she _adored_ Bruce with fervour, and that included his greener side. The first time she met the Hulk, he had stared at her, sniffed her (making her giggle), and then he had scooped her up as gentle as he could and carried her back to the tower. She had been barely a year old, had wandered off without anyone noticing (Loki firmly believed she had teleported herself away), and like clockwork some idiot had chosen to rob a bank, full program with bombs and guns and whatever not. Bruce had been too surprised to repress Hulk when a bomb detonated directly besides him while searching for the girl, and afterwards had stumbled across Ásdís in a street two blocks away.

Loki had initially never been more afraid in his whole life, but never again had any doubt about leaving Bruce alone with his daughter after, even if he had insisted before the incident that there be someone in the vicinity with him when watching her – not that Bruce had minded, he had enforced the same rule quite thick-headed.

The next two times had been inevitable, with Pepper and Ásdís waiting for them to return from another Avengers-Mission (which Loki attended for shits and giggles mostly), and the girl had escaped her watchers clutches to storm off as soon as they were in sight, running straight to her daddies and after making sure they were okay, grinning up to Hulk and demanding a piggyback ride home – and the big brute obeyed without even blinking.

So, yes, Ásdís was very much enamoured with Bruce and Hulk, much to everyone's amusement.

“Papa, change now!”, she said, making Loki chuckle and nod.

“Very well. Come here.”

 

 

No one blinked at the gender-shift any more, just snickered as they got sight of Ásdís clothes.

“This one will have holes in no time as often as she wears it.”, Tony remarked drily, hands full with coolers full of drinks, and Bruce rolled his eyes.

“You should not encourage her like this.”

“Oh come on, she loves you. Don't you?”, Pepper said, and the birthday girl nodded earnestly.

“My Boozie.”, she said and smiled at him, getting back the inevitable soft and gentle look Bruce always depicted, with a hint of the adoration he held for her. Her eyes wandered around and stopped again.

“Teeve! Teeve, up!”, she then said, excited beyond words and hurried off to him with outstretched arms. He laughed and whirled her around.

“Hey, little duckling!”

She pouted.

“I'm no duckling. I'm two!”

“I am so sorry, honey. Of course you are no duckling any more.”

“Beach now!”

“She'll be throwing temper tantrums en masse with the way we give in to every little wish she has.”, Jane stated drily, already moving, and made the parents snort.

“Dear, we'll be painted devils once she works out we have to be stern and deny her sometimes with the way she's pampered.”, Tony smirked, and Loki grinned brightly.

“It's just a matter of wording, really. She knows exactly not to overstep her limits, even if she is only two years old. Everything else, I can talk her into. Make her like what you want her to do, and she'll do it happily.”

Arched eyebrows followed that statement.

“Look at it that way – you cannot reason with them that age. They have their wants and do not know how to differentiate between their needs and the actual necessity. So before I make her cry, I try to make her like what she needs to do – less tears, less stress, more fun. The clothes changing earlier was a situation like that. Had I flat out refused or tried to reason, she would have surely thrown a fit, because she would not have really understood why we needed to change – swimming can be done in all clothes, or naked, that's not important to her. So I gave her a reason to do what I wanted – and she did it with joy.”

“Interesting theory.”, Pepper said, making Loki grin a little wider.

“Yes, well, that will cease to work sometime, I'll imagine – but by then she will have learned to reason.”

Not that she did not reason at all with her – but this worked when reasoning would not. They had their rules, the had their boundaries, and Loki was making sure that Ásdís knew how loved she was, how proud they were of anything she did, and that she was right exactly how she was.

She would not make the same mistakes as her father. At least, she tried her best not to.

“Come on already, by the time you have moved Steve has carried her off to Neverland!”, Clint said and pushed them forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Domesticity. I cannot escape them. But Aaaaaaaaaw! She's two!
> 
> ...if I should have sported total nonsense as to how to reason with kids, that's probably because I've never had one myself for more than a few minutes. But I'm working in elementary school, and I have found that this really works :D I sure as hell do not want to make the impression of being a super-parent. I'm not. I'm not even close X'D


	3. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluff. Yes.  
> Oh, and Doom.

 

 

As predicted, neither the nap nor the bedtime were an issue that day – Ásdís simply succumbed to sleep sometime and nothing short of Ragnarök would wake her till morn to come.

“It's so nice to see you all again. As much as I love them both, I missed you, guys.”, Tony sighed as he flopped back on his couch, scotch in hand and rolling his shoulders to get the latest stiffness out – his daughter had insisted on a water fight, and unfortunately for the engineer, she had paired up with Thor, Loki and Clint – the rest had no chance, even with Natasha.

“It was eerily silent these last two weeks. New York is not the same without you – and you know, I had to accustom myself to a whole new city once already.”, Steve grinned and sipped on his beer – alcohol working or not, he liked it – before leaning back as well.

“Aww, how sweet, Capsicle.”

“We'll come back in two days at most, rest assured – fourteen days have been well and truly enough. It's almost boring.”, Loki said and sipped at her her whiskey.

“Has Doom made any ruckus while we were away?”

Natasha shook her head.

“Not since a month ago – it's like he's biding his time again.”

Dr. Victor von Doom – Loki had asked his name rather soon after she had gotten him in jail all those years ago – had escaped prison, or rather bought himself out not too long after he was captured. As sovereign of a small country he enjoyed diplomatic immunity to an extend, and that meant capturing him again would not do. No sense in jailing someone who would be free hours later.

They had to simply defeat him time and time again, or so it seemed, making clear that he should stay where he had come from – he had his kingdom, the World was under their protection.

“I'll see what I can do to unravel his magical abilities – last time was ludicrous at best, I could best him even with diminished magical resources and weakened by this form.”, Loki offered.

“He has upgraded his bots – they're magical as well, now.”, Tony remembered him, leaning his arm around her shoulders while resting on the couch still.

“As I said, I will see what I can do. My first priority remains finding the Elves.”

Oh, and that had proven to be frustrating – there was no single clue, no lead, nothing. They had practically vanished.

Sixteen months had bygone, and neither had a single soul seen head or tail, nor had Loki made much progress with their shrouding spells.

“Okay, who's in with a round of Mia? Or Twenty-One, or what else it's called around the world.”, Tony then offered, producing shot glasses and more alcohol.

“In!”, all of them called – even Bruce – and helped passing along the materials.

“Sadly, it would take probably the whole night to get us drunk enough to really enjoy this game like we did prior, but hey, for old times sake!”, the engineer grinned and filled their glasses.

“Oh, I might have a way around that.”, Loki whispered, already smirking in a way that had Pepper and Steve eye him warily.

“What now? Has Asgard some kind of super-alcohol?”

Thor grinned as well.

“Surely you have noticed the large quantities we need to get inebriated properly. This... would prove very costly in an even shorter matter of time. Our spirits are brewed to be more potent than your Midgardian drinks.”

Clint pouted.

“And you say that now. After what, seven years? Fucking unfair.”

It ended in a discussion whether or not Thor or Loki should travel to Asgard now and then to obtain a few bottles of the rare treat, when Jane spotted a small shadow and shushed the rest.

“Dizzy, sweetie, are you all right?”, she asked.

The girl rubbed her eyes and clutched her bilgesnipe closer to her chest.

“I can't sleep. I twied.”, she said sleepily, trotting over to them and climbing into Clint's lap, before curling up right there and sticking her thumb into her mouth. He settled her so she would not fall off while turning and stroked her hair.

“Good night, Pinky.”, he smiled.

“Nighty, Bwain.”, she breathed, already half-asleep again. Natasha fanned herself some air in mock fainting at the sugar sweet and adorable sight, and the rest just grinned.

“I still am a bit shocked that she calls you 'Brain' of all things.”, Tony exclaimed, making the archer smile widely.

“What can I say, two clever beings such as we are recognize it in the other!”

“And it has absolutely nothing to do with me calling you 'Bird-brain', right?”, Loki added sweetly.

“Right, dwarf.”

And Clint was the only one – the absolute exception – that was allowed to call her that.

Tony rose and wanted to make his way over to them.

“I'll get her back into bed.”

“No, it's okay – I'll do it. Second door to the right?”, Clint asked and carefully stood up, gingerly shifting his hold on the small human. Loki could not keep away the affectionate smile.

“Yes. Thank you.”, she said gently and pulled Tony back.

“Oh man, I wanted to do it – I like bringing her to bed.”, he pouted.

“We were away two weeks, love. He has grown rather attached to her. You know I am the first one to claim motherhood to her, but she's as much a daughter or sister to all of our friends as she is to us – he has waited to cuddle her the whole day. Give them a moment.”

“If he wants one he can make one himself.”, the genius muttered grumpily and was elbowed in return.

“Don't be like this. It was especially difficult for Clint to accept all of this, what with his history and all, so cut him some slack.”, his wife said quietly, and Tony sighed and took a sip from his tumbler, only to frown when the liquid touched his tongue.

“Forgot the Ice. I forgot the Ice. Damn.”

“Fetch some, then.”, Pepper advised with a snort, getting back an incredulous look. Tony shook his head and held his glass out to Loki, who rolled her eyes and took it.

“Lazy ass.”, she snickered, but chilled the glass with a soft flick of her index finger, and, wanting to show off a bit, summoned a pair of ice cubes in form of her (long lost) helmet into the liquid.

“Thanks, darling.”, the engineer answered and kissed her cheek and hand after taking back the glass.

“Anyone else? I'm just in the mood.”, she asked and was promptly assaulted with glasses and wishes for ice cubes in special shapes, making her laugh and doing as she was asked so politely.

And just for good measure, Loki encased the bottles her husband had brought earlier in a fine sheet of Ice, non-melting, to keep them cooled for the inevitable annihilation of them that would follow later.

“Actually, you could save our polar bears – and the penguins. And probably our whole fucked up climate.”, Natasha said ten minutes later when there had not been a single drop of icemelt on either the bottles on the table nor their drinks, and the ice cubes had not lost their form.

“Really now? Me?”, Loki snorted, cradling her glass.

“You've lived here for what now, ten years?”

“Seven.”

“Peanuts. You must have heard about our serious climatic problems, at the very least because Tony here is still the sole one with clean energy business aside from renewable energies.”, Pepper added. “The ice caps and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and we have had more natural disasters in the last decade than in the last century.”

Loki nodded – of course she had realized that Midgard had problems with their balance. She raised an eyebrow.

“And what do you propose?”

The CEO gnawed at her lips for a second.

“I don't know how much power and energy you would need to restore some of the damage that's been done, but I think it would actually help if the polar ice caps would be stabilized.”

Tony sucked in a breath. Jane and Bruce did, too.

“The Casket.”, they said in unison and the sorceress could not hold onto herself and broke down in laughter.

“You could use the Casket! It's got to be enough to help you along, it powered an entire Realm before!”, Jane exclaimed excited, Bruce already was calculating where to start and with how much as to not disturb Earth any more, while Tony regarded her with his best puppy dog eyes.

She laughed even harder at that.

“They could have a point, Loki.” Steve consented and took a swig out of his bottle.

Softly stroking her husbands hair, eerily similar as one would pet a dog (quite fitting with the look she got), she sat down her glass and leaned back.

“I see – I am reduced to Frosty. This is how far I have fallen. Where is my magic hat?”

“Oh come on, don't be so melodramatic.”, Tony muttered and closed his eyes while nudging her shoulder. The god grinned.

“I will think about it. I certainly have the means to freeze the entire planet if I so wish, and no, I won't do it, relax. So, where is Birdy? I recall a drinking game.”

 

 

The second they sat foot in the Tower the alarm blared, prompting both Loki and Tony to groan heavily.

“Is a bit of peace to much to ask for? Jarv, what's the matter?”, Tony whined and slouched off to the elevator.

“It appears that Doctor Doom has appeared near Brooklyn and has brought a small army of his robots.”, the snotty AI drawled perfectly indifferent. Loki pouted, settling Ásdís on his hips.

“Doom? I thought he would take a bit longer after last time.”

“What, after he kicked our mangos last time? No way. He's becoming really nasty and annoying.”

Damn. Loki wanted to play with the foreigner, too.

“Let Jarvis play me the live footage, please. I cannot leave Dizzy here on her own, and neither Pep nor Jane are available, so I'll make do with whatever pictures you can give me. If he truly has grown his magical abilities, I want to know every last detail of it.”, he said, throwing Tony a kiss and settling down on the couch, TV already buzzing, one eye on their daughter.

“Sure. See you later.”

“Have fun!”

Oh, and fun they had. Thor especially loved to short-circuit the Bots with Mjölnir and some well-timed lightning strikes, and Hulk all but pulverized them.

But even though it did not seem as if it was a rather hard fight, it was clear that there had changed something – the Avengers and the DoomBots were a match in strength and durability. As they had been before the intake of magical apples. The robots were sturdier and needed to be dealt a very hard swing to cease functioning.

Somehow Doom had gotten his hands on something that would enhance his technology.

Or on _someone_.

Loki was not sure if he would prefer the first or the second option. Probably neither.

“Papa, why is Daddy playing with wobots?”, Ásdís asked some time after Tony had left, content with a picture book and the newest colouring book Steve had given her to her birthday.

“He is not playing, dear, he is protecting us.”

“Why? Are they mean?”

“I fear so. And the man who built them is not nice either.”

The girl furrowed her brows and shot him a confused look.

“But Daddy has wobots too. Daddy is not mean.”

Loki smiled at her and shook his head.

“No, Daddy is a hero. He does not use his bots to cause chaos or panic.”

“Dum-E is funny.”, she giggled and flipped a side in her book.

“Exactly.”

In that moment, the camera caught something that had Loki quite intrigued. He bend forward and narrowed his eyes, focusing on a spot some distance away from the actual fighting.

“Now that promises to be interesting.”

 

 

“We need to finish the MarkU1. Seriously.”, Tony said as the Avengers returned. Loki looked up from the picture he and his daughter were drawing and regarded the battered humans with a piercing look.

“I take it you have barely won?”

“We were _abandoned_. The Bots retreated an hour ago, without a cause.”, Clint muttered, clearly agitated about the outcome, and perhaps a little incredulous.

“Don't sound so disappointed.”, Steve scoffed and pressed a handkerchief onto a cut on his forehead. Bruce was already on his way to fetch the First Aid Kit, and Natasha was scurrying into the kitchen to get something to drink.

“Ah, but it was glorious!”, Thor boomed with a smile. “A battle worthy of feasts and songs!”

Loki rolled his eyes.

“You were lucky to escape, moron. Had they not vanished, there would be more wounds now than the few scratches you sport.”

“So nice of you to care.”

“To be honest, I already was thinking of a way to either cast some long distance spells or send a doppelgänger to help you out.”

It silenced his friends and made them arch their brows. Loki frowned.

“Doom was there, hidden under a spell as he watched you. His control has increased disproportionally to the last attack he led, and the Bots he sent were tougher than ever. Something has changed his game.”

“Hell, it was really close when Loki wanted to come and play, too.”, Natasha stated drily and handed the rest a drink. Taking a big gulp, she flopped down besides Ásdís and sneaked a glance at the picture.

“Look at that, I think Steve has had some influence already.”, she grinned. The child smiled at her and proudly told her what she had drawn.

“This is Papa, and this is Daddy. And we dwew Boozie and Hulk and Bwain, too.”

“I see.”

“Thewe is space for you and Peppie and Uncle Toto here.”, she said and pointed to the blank corner of the paper, holding out a pencil for her to grab.

Loki smirked and kissed the little girl on the head, where the thick black locks were put into a braid and left his place, walking over to Steve and gently placing two fingers on the cut that had ceased bleeding.

A tiny movement, and the cut scabbed and healed in mere seconds.

Steve sighed.

“Thanks. I thought wounds like these would heal faster now – they have before.”

“Oh Cap,” Loki chuckled, “even Aesir healing will slow down if the wound is severe enough – and the Bots had a really mean swing. You had a mild concussion, not that you noticed. You all should be more careful around these enemies.”

When Bruce returned with the Kit, Loki had already healed the worst cuts and bruises, and he was left with the task of sanitizing and distributing band-aids.

What to do?

Settling down on the couch after seeing that his daughter was occupied with both Natasha and Steve as well as the picture (finished probably worth a lot of money in the eyes of crazy people), the sorcerer leaned against Tony, who slung an arm around his shoulders and pressed a sloppy kiss to his temple, eliciting a small smile.

“Next time I will accompany you. Something bothers me, and I want to know what it is. It's not only the merging of technology with magic – what is a tiny bit frightening, if I may be honest – it is the _how_. Doom has gotten his fingers on an enhancement, and I thirst for finding out what exactly.”, he said, a glint in his eyes and an itch under his skin.

“Whatever you want, Princess, whatever you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost forgot to upload this thing today. Shame on me. So here you have it!  
> You can look forward to the next chapter - we will have some Asgardian interaction <3  
> See you on Wednesday!!  
> Thank you all for your comments :D  
> Btw, have I mentioned that I _love_ writing Dizzy? She's the perfect comedian :D


	4. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visitors from Asgard, family-friendly swearing, and a short trip to Asgard.  
> Nothing unusual, then.

 

 

“Papa.”

Loki whined softly and popped one eye open, just to be greeted with the brown-green eyes of his daughter, staring at him from besides the bed her parents slept in.

“Munchkin, it's too early to be awake.”, he muttered softly and shuffled to the side, lifting the bedding as he did. Ásdís climbed in and cuddled into his body as warm arms encircled her, a tight embrace from her mother.

“Papa, thewe are two birds at the window.”, she whispered into his ear, making him giggle lowly.

“How do they look?”

“Black and scawy.”, the girl said, eyes wide and innocent. Loki chuckled.

“You need not fear, darling, I think I know these two. Do they have dark eyes like the night-sky?”

Ásdís nodded cautiously and buried her head into his shirt.

“And do they make your neck tingle?”

A second nod. Tiny fingers fisted the fabric, and the Trickster gently covered the hands with his own, tenderly stroking the soft skin with his thumbs.

“Do you remember how I told you about the different Worlds?”

“Yes. It was a nice stowy.”

“Thank you very much, Dearest. Now, the two birds are ravens, and they are called Huginn and Muninn, sent by a powerful man to speak with me.”, Loki explained and earned an unbelieving look.

“Animals don't talk.”

“These do. They are from one of the other Worlds and want to listen to my tales, just as you do before bed.”

As Ásdís thought about that for some moments, the sleep-warm body of Tony rolled over to them, and an arm was flung around Loki's middle in an attempt to get a bit of a cuddle that early on a Saturday, just to stop dead in its tracks when it collided with the tummy of the girl pressed to the god. Grinning, Loki turned around, daughter pulled tightly to his chest, and kissed his half-awake lover.

“Good morning, love.”, he said, and their daughter scrambled up to press a kiss of herself to her father's cheek.

“Morning, Daddy!”, she cooed, snuggling down between her parents again.

“Yeah, M'ning, get back t'sleep.”, he mumbled and cozied up, this time bringing his arm around Loki's waist and pulling him closer, pressing both bodies nearer to him, followed by the act of pulling the covers back up and falling back into slumber.

Ásdís looked at her mother for a second, thinking. The black haired man smirked.

“The birds can wait. It's Saturday, and here on Earth that means a sleep-in.”

Finally at ease again, the child closed her eyes with a smile.

 

 

Both ravens seemed rather annoyed once Loki opened the doors to let them in some hours later. Not that it interested him in the least – whatever Odin wanted could wait until he had spent time with his family.

“I hope you had fun waiting after scaring my daughter.”, he said with a wide grin, but made an effort to appease them the second after with a bowl of water and some pieces of meat he had saved from lunch. The ravens crowed at him, picking at the treats they were offered.

“So, what does he want from me?”

Huginn looked at him and gave a screech. Loki sighed and sat down on the couch.

“As usual, no promising leads and no progress with the spell. I do my best, but it is tedious work and without actually knowing where they are located and what spell they use it is an even slower matter.”

Muninn croaked after devouring a piece of meat, making Loki chuckle.  
“Just because he has not seen me does not mean I have not been there.”

Both ravens cocked their heads a him.

“I meet with Heimdall at least once every month, not to mention the trips Thor and I make in same intervals.”

Huginn shrugged and went over to the water bowl. Muninn stared at Loki, who stared back bored and not impressed in the least.

Then the bird made a soft squawking sound, edging closer to the sorcerer, whose eyes became a touch harder and defensive.

“Do not attempt to make me feel bad about it – she has lost any rights to contact me after deceiving me.”

Huginn abandoned the bowl and hopped closer, gently nipping at one of Loki's fingers.

“What, and I have not missed them? She used my state of mind to make me dependent of her – to _bind_ me to her, to exploit my weakness and gratitude, my appreciation that seemingly someone still loved me unconditionally.”, he hissed and withdrew his arm.

Both birds shrieked.

“I never said either – whether I cut my ties or not will be seen in time.”

“Papa.”, a small, tired voice cut in, and Loki whirled around as well as the ravens.

“Hey, darling. Shouldn't you nap right now?”

The girl padded over, wary of the big black birds, and climbed up on his lap, eyes never leaving them.

“I can't sleep.”, she said, almost teary, and Loki quickly settled her in his arms, gently rocking her.

“Hush, sweet princess, just close your eyes and rest your head.”, her Papa said, kissing her head and stroking her back with warm fingers.

“There once was a brave knight, tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, and he was loved wherever he went.”, the god began with a voice like silk, soothing and calming.

“Like Uncle Toto?”, the child asked, yawning and cuddling closer to her mother. Loki nodded.

“Yes, darling, exactly like Thor. He even had a hammer like your Uncle. And he had true and loyal friends who would do everything to help him. Now, one day, there was a man, and he promised to built a great wall around the kingdom the knight lived in, but he demanded a price that was too high for the king to pay. The wall was needed to defend the city, though, and so the knight made a bet with the man.”

Blinking, Ásdís threw the ravens a glance. They appeared to listen as intently as she was.

“The man promised to build the wall in a ridiculous short time, when he would get one of the princesses to marry. The knight was sure he would never finish in time, and so he made the deal.”

Loki softly carded his fingers through her locks, smiling lovingly down on the precious being he had been gifted with, sensing her drifting into sleep at last.

“But the knight had not thought that the man would prove able to fulfil his bargain, and three days before the time was up, he had almost completed the wall.”, he whispered, listening to the deep breaths his daughter took, and wondered again why she could slip into rest so easily when both her parents could take ages to succumb to sleep.

Huginn came closer, claws clacking on the wooden table, and the child shifted and furrowed her brows while exhaling, making the bird stop dead in his tracks. Loki shot him a look.

“Don't you dare make a sound.”, he mouthed at them, still combing through her hair tenderly.

Five minutes later, he was fairly sure the girl would not wake if taken to bed, and so he did exactly that, gently placing her into the crib and placing Snipey besides her.

“Sweet dreams, princess.”, he whispered.

When he returned, his father's ravens were gone.

 

 

“What did they want?”

“Oh, the usual. How's it going, have you found them, what's with the hiding, why haven't you come visit, and hey, why have you put away the only means to contact you?” Loki huffed and turned a page in his current book – 'The Swarm', written by a german author, Frank Schätzing, very captivating – before looking up. Tony sighed and let himself fall down besides his husband.

“Well, it has been a long time since you either talked or saw one of them.”

Loki shot him a scathing look over his book.

“I don't say you're wrong, you have every right to make them wait for two or three decades, or longer, but they miss you, too, I think. At least Thor has said as much.”

“Thor is not my standard of measuring familiar ties.”

“Oh, Sweet Pea, I know. I know you're hurt, and I know they've betrayed your trust on a whole set of levels. But, and just listen, please, how can you mend this when you continue to hide yourself away? I was under the impression you wanted to.”

It was silent when Loki closed the book and placed it on the coffee table, rubbing the bridge of his nose and folding his legs underneath his body.

“I don't understand you, Lokes. Help me out.”, Tony asked softly and carefully, giving him a tentative look from under his eyelashes that had Loki grin lightly.

“I'm impressed that all of you left me alone with this for so long.”, he said then and intertwined their fingers.

“It's your decision, Bambi, not ours. You know best what's good for you.”, his husband answered and pressed his lips to the long, elegant fingers, kissing the digits one after the other.

“I... fear them, Tony. I am afraid. I cannot let them hurt me like this again. You have seen them, how they acted as if I was theirs to command again after the fiasco with the Aether, how it was the only sane possibility for me to guard Asgard, to _stay_ and _help_ and be the same as I was before. Neither understands, despite having heard my words, that I need time and distance above all before I may even think about returning.”

He looked around frantically, unfocused, gripping Tony's hand harder.

“Hell, even Thor was sure I would leave my home for the sake of them! How could I? It is... just as it was before.”, Loki sighed, defeated, tired of all the assumptions that were placed on him.

His husband pulled him to his chest, effectively pinning him down on the couch in a tangle of limbs.

“Banana what they think. You're Loki, you do whatever the kiwi you want. You're free to do what you like, and if that means living here on Earthgard, they have to swallow the pill and move the banana on.”, he growled, making Loki chuckle weakly.

“I love your E-rated cussing.”

A bright grin greeted him when he looked up again, as well as these terrific brown eyes the exact hue of molten, dark chocolate, framed by eyelashes Loki could die for.

“I know.”, Tony smiled and kissed his forehead lovingly.

“So, simply tell me if or when I should bury the wolf six feet deep for you and I'll do it with joy.”, he promised, while kissing his way down to the soft neck the sorcerer willingly exposed.

“I don't want to cut them out _completely_ , you know that, but I cherish the notion of being the one to control all contact.”

“Except when All-Daddy sends his birds.”

“Well, yes.”

When a hand slipped under his shirt, Loki snickered.

“Still as insatiable as a teenager stuck in puberty, I see, Mr. Stark.”

“What can I say, there is something small and blue that gets my gears turning.”

It took a second for Loki to understand the double entendre – he had heard about that infamous Viagra – so that the swat of his hand was expected and intercepted with a grin.

“I am not small, and not once we have lain together like this!”, Loki huffed, barely able to repress a snicker. Who'd have thought he would be able to _laugh_ about his heritage sometime? Stranger things had seldom happened.

“Pity, I always had a thing for Smurfette.”, the younger one mumbled against his clavicles and pulled up the shirt that covered the body he was fondling.

“Poor Baby.”, Loki cooed at him and arched into his touch. “To think I could deny you.”

His shirt was pulled over his head, messing up his hair, and was followed by nipping, licking and sucking lips that gradually went south, making him writhe and squirm for more.

“Can you?”, Tony asked, pupils already blown wide with arousal as he looked up from his husband's bellybutton, “Deny me, I mean?”

“Of course I can, mortal.”, Loki sneered loftily, eyes dark and glinting amused, “Now cease your meaningless chatter and go on. Worship your God.”

The engineer pouted at him, but he would not give in.

Joking about it was one thing.

Getting intimate in the foreign body was a whole other matter entirely.

“Meaningless chatter, pah.”, Tony muttered and bit into Loki's left thigh, making him tense up before he licked over his mark. Hey, there had been pants the second before, Loki thought.

“I'll give you meaningless chatter, Princess.”

Ten minutes later they were engaged in a very heavy make-out-session that would have put porn actors to shame.

They never finished, though, erupting in helpless and side-splitting laughter after Tony had muttered “Banana me!” into Loki's ear with a wide grin.

 

 

“I see the disturbance caused by your spell, my Prince.”

“Progress, then, Gatekeeper. Finally.”

At last, something going right. Heimdall was still unable to _see_ , but if he could distinguish between concealment and emptiness, it was a step in the right direction.

When the Avengers had left for Midgard a year and a half before, it had been with a promise – and Loki held his word. He had started to play with his shrouding spell, thinning it until Heimdall was able to make out that something was wrong, being sensitized to feel and recognize the difference between absence and hiding. Strengthening the spell more and more, Loki had made sure the All-Seeing had been able to follow him, his movements, without actually seeing him.

“Have you and Thor any leads?”

Ah, that was the whole point – Heimdall could perhaps sense the Dark Elves now, but without a trace, he would have to search every nook and crook on the Nine Realms, a task that was unmanageable even for him. He would need more luck than ability to find them.

“No. That means, perhaps, but I will not jinx it. We have gotten word about some strange proceedings on Vanaheim and Nidavellir, and it will be our next stop.”

“Nidavellir?”

Loki snorted.

“There are but a handful Dark Elves left – the dwarves have their own Realm, now. Svartalfáheimr has ceased to be.”

Turning around again, set on leaving and controlling the old passageways, the sorcerer felt amber eyes on his person and chuckled amused.

“I will give words as soon as I know anything. In the meantime, you may keep practising on my spell, but keep your eyes to yourself while I am engaged with my family.”

Heimdall sighed.

“You have visited dutifully and steady since you have been reinstated, yet neither the King nor the Queen have seen you. They would be sick with worry if Thor would not tell them about you.”

“It is none of your business. I am not interested in your council, so keep it to yourself. What I do is mine to know only.”

“Loki...”

“What? Have they asked you, too, to appeal to my conscience?”, Loki snapped, and even if the other did not even twitch, he knew exactly that he was right.

“You may tell them that forcing me to interact with them is not likely to gain my favours. I will come to them, in time. When I think they are ready to accept their own faults, not only mine.”

Heimdall did not answer as the Trickster left.

Loki had known he would not.

 

 

Shielded and under a spell that would make others blind to him the god made sure the Treasure and Weapons Vault was as he had left it two weeks before. The Tesseract was where she should be, and the other artefacts had not moved an inch since his last visit. The spells were intact, Mjölnir was still connected to the Cube – at least this was nothing to worry about. The shock about losing the Gauntlet had evoked some startling effects on the efficiency in the palace.

Loki had not spent much time down in the chamber, but apparently long enough, as he was not longer alone when he turned to leave.

Masking his features with a neutral expression, he nodded his head once in acknowledgement.

“Allfather.”

“All is like it should be. I have strengthened and renewed all enchantments.”

“Then I am no longer needed here today and shall take my leave.”, Loki mumbled and made to escape.

“We are in debt to you. I am in debt. I never thanked you for saving my life.”

“We're even, then – you saved me, I returned the favour. And as you well know, as long as my family remains undisturbed, Asgard has my cooperation.”

It took Odin three of Loki's long steps to take another breath.

“Seeing as neither you nor your family have spent any time at all here I believe this Realm has not paid its dues.”

Of course. Sighing heavily, the younger one carded one hand through his hair as the other was stemmed on his hip.

“Look, there is nothing at all I could want from either of you, so just take the help I offer for free before I change my mind.”

Odin shook his head gently.

“That is not why I am here, Loki. I am grateful for everything you do for us, though, and I want to see you have the deserved respect for this.”

A tiny frown settled on the Trickster's lips after that. So, a forced talk after all?

“We have hoped you would perhaps visit with your daughter's day of birth close, or shortly after. As it stands, we have yet to gain your affection back, and though it saddens me, I understand.”

It pulled on Loki's heart. He knew it was a tiny bit unfair, that he made them suffer unnecessarily, keeping away for so long without a single message or word, but it was what _he_ needed – and he would be as selfish as he wanted to be in that regard. His mind and soul – his rules.

He straightened up a bit more, not wanting to show that the words affected him somewhat.

“We will wait. We have time enough. If Thor could wait four years for you, impatient as he is, your Mother and I can wait, too.”

Rolling his eyes, Loki snorted and crossed his arms, arching one eyebrow in the same instant.

“What do you want, really? Small-talk was never your forte.”

Odin chuckled and shook his head once.

“Straight to the matter as always.”, he said, producing a small, wrapped parcel from somewhere under his garbs.

“It is not much, and I wanted to give it to her personally, but she has waited long enough already.”

It was small, really. Smaller than a paperback, if the same height. Wrapped in a soft cloth and a discreet little bow, it weighed almost nothing, Loki thought as he gingerly took it from his father's hands.

“I cannot promise not to watch her through Hliðskjálf, as I fear she has quite a penchant to enamour whomever she comes across, but I will not spy on you or any of your friends. This I promise.”

Before Loki could bring himself to say another word, Odin was gone again, and he was alone.

He sighed, parcel in his hands, and he stared at it for a second before swiftly making his exit as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments, I'm sooooo happy you like it :D  
> The next one will be out on Sunday (yes, I'm keeping my four days in between, it's my only chance to finish the story before I have no chapters in store any more... buuuuut if I think you've earned it, I might chuck out a chapter a bit earlier ;P)
> 
> (Extra-Kudos for the one's who can translate the cussing ;D)


	5. Of Family and Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odin's parcel entails information Loki would have never expected.  
> And Loki just can't miss the opportunity to have fun.

 

 

It was a delicately crafted necklace, Loki found out after deciding that whatever was in there, he would need to make sure it was safe before handing it to Ásdís with a clear conscience.

The finest dwarven gold, he thought, prized in all the Realms for its purity and durability in even the weakest of links, and feeling as if water ran through ones fingers at touch.

On the chain, there hung a pendant, perfectly round. Three gems were fitted into the Triquetra that was etched into the metal, small diamonds nestled in a setting looking like flower petals, and in the centre of the symbol Odin had chosen for his house, there sat a pink brilliant, setting the most filigree blossom of forget-me-not ever forged from gold.

Even more stunning that the pendant was not bigger than three centimetres. Not even one and a half inches in diameter.

On the backside, his daughter's name was engraved in Latin and the Runes the Aesir used, and the date of her birth as well, once in the earthen calendar, once using the asgardian one, along with two words.

_Sváss kind_.

Loki stared for a long time at the pendant, placed in his open palm, turning it ever so often to watch front and back.

“I remember fetching this from the dwarves on Svartálfaheimr some days after we fought the Titan.”, a voice said, yanking the sorcerer out of his musings, fist closing as he became aware of his brother, sitting in the chair opposite of his. Thor pointed to the wrapping.

“What is it?”, he wanted to know, curious and interested. “Father never told me – I thought it to be a present for Mother, as he asked not to tell her. I paid a ridiculous amount of Gold for this tiny thing.”

“It...” 

... _is proof that he loved me._

Odin had known, he realized with startled thoughts. Loki had never told him of his pregnancy, only Frigga had heard the news. But he had known, and he had ordered a piece of jewellery fitting for a princess, emblazoned with his houses symbol, effectively declaring the wearer family, while Loki still had been carrying the precious burden within his body.

Usually, once familiar ties were severed in Asgard, neither party would acknowledge the other, no spouse, no child, no sister, no brother.

Odin having something like the necklace prepared for his daughter, _Loki_ 's daughter, while he still thought to be cast away and abandoned by the only family he had ever known, was telling the sorcerer more than any word could have. It meant that the Allfather never truly wanted to cut him out. That he had spoken the truth.

That Loki still _belonged_. Always had.

“This rollercoaster will kill me someday.”, he muttered chuckling, closing his eyes and pressing the hand with the pendant to his forehead.

“Brother, are you all right?”, Thor asked, a tiny spark of worry in his voice.

Oh, right, he had wanted to know. Loki had already forgotten him again.

“Forgive me. It is a necklace. Quite masterfully crafted, as I would expect of the dwarves.”

“And how do you come across it? Now, two and a half years after I brought it to Asgard?”

Smiling to himself, he leaned across the table and opened his hand to show his brother the piece of art, front first.

Thor merely raised an eyebrow at him.

“It is quite nice, yes. However, too feminine for you, Loki.”, he said, and, after a moment of silence, asked “Have you _stolen_ it from Mother?” with an incredulous look that practically screamed 'How could you!' at the black haired one.

It took all of Loki's self-control to not smack Thor on the head with something.

“Of course not, you moron. Even if I had, would I show it to you then?”

“Probably not.”, the blonde grumbled.

Loki turned the pendant around, now showing its backside, and Thor squinted his eyes to decipher the tiny words and numerals. Once he had, though, his face lit up in a beaming smile that put lightbulbs to shame.

“'Tis is a wonderful surprise, brother!”

Only then it occurred to Loki that Odin had used Thor, too, for his plans, together with Frigga. Thor had been the one to insist on a second trial for him, for a lighter punishment – the sentimental fool would have believed anything from Frigga's lips, glad to have support against his Father.

“It was a scheme worthy of praise, and we all fell for it. Even you, and you played such an important role in getting me back my titles.”, Loki said, and Thor huffed.

“When you have fallen for it, it is no wonder I did, too. In hindsight, however, Father has given in much too easy – barely any screaming or shouting, I was prepared for another banishment for going against his orders.”, he chuckled. Loki shook his head amused.

“Just look at us, so old, yet still so naïve and blind. It is a shame.”

“It would be less fun otherwise, do you not agree?”

Loki laughed.

“Are you not even remotely angry that they used you like this? I mean, Asgard have could turned on you for helping me.”

“I would not have cared – I would have sacrificed everything for you to be treated squarely for once.”

Sentimental fool.

Norns and Yggdrasil, he was glad Thor had stuck around.

 

 

“Look who's home again!”, Tony's cheery voice echoed from the walls once the elevator opened to release both the engineer and the little girl on his hip.

“Papa! Papa, we have seen lions! And pengins! And gwaffees!”, Ásdís babbled as soon as Loki was within sight, happily bouncing on her father's arm.

“You had fun, then?”, he asked with a grin, and both newcomers nodded eagerly.

“Yes! Nattie and Bwain were funny, too!”, the girl said and looked around wildly.

Loki stopped smiling.

“You gave her sugar.”, he hissed accusingly. Tony had the decency to look sheepish.

“She was so well-behaved the whole trip, I thought a little ice-cream couldn't hurt.”

“I had pistachoo!“, she grinned.

Giving in to his fate, Loki chuckled and came over to kiss his husband and child.

“Still sticking to the green, hm?”

“Gween is the best!”, Ásdís nodded and cuddled into Tony. “It's my Mapa's colouw.”

It made Loki's heart melt. And Tony's too, as besotted as he looked at their kid.

There were some moments of silence, the parents fully content to stand there and watch the little wonder they created, the girl happy with her place in her daddy's arm – well, until her eyes popped open again and the sugar high kicked in fully.

She ran around the penthouse as if wild bees were chasing here, giggling and laughing like mad, and when she finally came down from the rush, she simply collapsed on the rug in front of the couch and fell asleep with a content sigh.

Both Loki and Tony cocked up a brow, slowly bending over from their place on the couch to observe the child.

“How long do you think we have this time?”

“I'd estimate something around an hour.”

“...Jarvis, no one disturbs. Protocol Naptime.”

“Of course, Sirs.”

Five minutes later, Ásdís was in her bed, and her parents were happily relaxing in the bathtub with a good book and a Stark-Tablet full of suits.

 

 

“It is pwetty.”

Loki smiled and fastened the delicate chain around her neck carefully.

“It is. As long as you wear it, the most powerful man in the whole World will watch over you and keep you safe, darling.”, he said, and Ásdís scrunched up her face in confusion.

“But Daddy alweady looks.”, she said, making Tony laugh and Loki smirk.

“Heard that? I'm Tony Allmighty. Take that, Universe!”, the engineer boomed, puffed up proudly and full of arrogance.

“You are right, Munchkin. Daddy is the strongest.”

Stroking her cheek, Loki kissed her nose.

“But there are others, as powerful as your Daddy and your Uncle Thor, and one of them is looking out for you from a very long distance away.”

“Who is he?”, the tiny girl asked curious, chin pressed tightly to her chest and cross-eyed as she tried to sneak another glance at the pretty necklace that now was hers.

“My father. Your grandfather.”

“You have a daddy, too?”

Loki chuckled.

“Yes. And he loves you as we do.”

“Daddy, do you have a daddy, too?”, she asked, quite unbelieving that they all should have her own fathers. She had never seen another Daddy besides her own. Tony snickered.

“I had one, Pumpkin. He died a long, long time ago.”

“That's sad.”, Ásdís sad, corners of her mouth turning down. Everyone should have a Daddy.

“It is, but it's okay now. I have you and your Mum, and all of your Uncles and Aunts.”

Still trying to get another look at the pendant, she stumbled from the chair to the couch and flopped down in front of it. A minute later, she had rediscovered the colouring book and her pencils and was happily filling the lines with messy strokes.

As Loki watched her, Tony came up to him from behind, arms loosely around his middle, and leaned his chin onto the gods shoulder. He pressed a soft kiss to his neck, and Loki closed his eyes with a smile and a deep warmth in his belly that he had missed for a long time.

“So we have grandparents now as well, huh?”, the genius asked with a grin in his voice, and Loki knew exactly how his eyes crinkled around the corners in delight.

“He had it made before I thought he knew about the pregnancy. Mother must have told him. It is the sigil of his house, his insignia, and calling my daughter family means that I am, too. That I was his son even before we had the lunge last year. That I was his, despite the words that stated otherwise.”, the Trickster explained in a low voice, a lightness in it despite the heavy emotions that raced inside him.

“They're forgiven?”

“They were forgiven the second I knew why they had done what they had. What I needed was the distance to get back control. I hate not knowing exactly what happens around me, and them going behind my back like that has jarred me. I'm jumping in at the deep end, here, placing my trust in them again.”

Nuzzling his neck, Tony hummed in approval.

“Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk.”, he said.

Loki snickered.

“That's your life motto, isn't it?”

“Well, it has helped significantly with Iron Man, and you, too, if I may say so – I practically leaped into our relationship. Way faster than I have done ever before. Never regretted a single second.”, the engineer smiled into the pale, warm skin in front of him. Loki turned his head a bit, just far enough to rub his cheek against Tony's, nose to nose. It felt as intimate as few other things.

“I love you.”, the sorcerer whispered with a faint smile, hands over his husband's, and the grip was tightened.

“And I love you.”, the smaller man breathed back onto his ear.

They had a moment, a perfect moment with a perfect kiss.

Until their daughter demanded that Daddy stop eating Papa.

 

 

Ásdís had asked for a walk in the Park in the middle of August, and seeing as Tony as well as the others were 'invited' to some obligational meeting and briefing with SHIELD, they could as well go.

Loki shifted to female, though, because there were so many dresses in the wardrobe dusting and rotting with Loki always male lately, and Ásdís loved the time with her Mama. Additionally, it had been a whole year since 'she' had been in public, and perhaps they would be less likely to be recognized and without Tony there, they could have a quiet and calm afternoon, just the two of them.

“Mama, thewe are kids! Can I go play?”

“Of course, darling. But be careful, please.”

Ásdís all but rushed to the playground, leaving Loki standing with a wide grin. She shook her head and followed her daughter, all too aware that she probably would either come back crying because some other kid would steal her sand, or hit her head somewhere in her hurry. Oh well. On eye on the kids, then.

Sitting down on one of the benches, she produced a book out of the bag and leaned back. She had barely read ten pages before another swing of children entered the sandpit, along with a chattering bunch of women. Loki took a quick glance to the mob before checking her daughter with a second look, making sure the other children did not a single thing to make her baby cry.

“The Stark-girl turned two the other week, have you heard?”, one of the woman said, and Loki perked up her ears in interest. Gossip – lovely.

“Really? No one knows exactly when she's been born, they keep her a secret!”, a second one added, and Number three whispered “Well, what would you do?”

“Poor girl, she must be lonely. All these strange people around her, so big and scary.”

The women nodded to each other, deadly serious. Number one looked around as if to see if someone was listening in on them, but there was only Loki and not even a handful other adults, so she bend down to her friends and started.

“I really think it is the worst kind of environment for a child – all those hero-business cannot be good for her.”

“Of course it is not. Between Stark and that freaky criminal?”

Oh, nice, they really got themselves going. Loki rejoiced. This would be fu~un!

She packed away the book and stood up.

“She surely is emotionally deprived. Stark was never able to care for others, and I fear what that alien will do to her.”, the fourth said.

“Excuse me, I was not able to pass that opportunity. I'm such a gossip, I suck up everything I hear.”, Loki stepped in and was eyed suspiciously the moment she opened her mouth.

Oh gosh, that would be hilarious.

“I've seen them some days ago – the poor girl was accompanied by two of the Avengers, the woman and that Bow-guy, probably relegated to have her out of the way.”, the sorceress told them and was instantly more interesting than any other thing. Loki grinned inside, but showed a perfectly concerned mask. The truth? Ásdís had insisted on going to the Zoo with only them, changing her mind halfway through so that Tony had to follow them an hour later.

“And that beast they live with, that scientist! It is so dangerous!”

“I hadn't even thought about this!”, #2 gasped, and the others nodded.

“How can they? Do they not think about the girl at all?” - #1.

“All that emotional trauma, just think about it. Her mother is a guy, that has to scar her for life.” - #4.

“And just think about that climate in the Tower – not that I do not like them, but really, there is too much battle and fighting going on.” - #3.

It got better every second.

“They lock the poor thing up in that horrible Tower, I doubt she ever sees daylight.” - #1.

Oh, but Pepper made sure Ásdís was out at least five times a week. At least.

“I heard the girl is passed between them as if she was a toy.”, Loki added conspiratorially. The women slapped their hands on their mouths in despair.

“No!”

“Yes! It's true! The little girl probably has no real attachment figure or parental connection to any of them.”

Oh gods, Loki did work really hard to keep the mask up. Inwards, she shook with laughter.

“Poor child. A worse upbringing I cannot fathom. She will be without manners and attention seeking in no time, like her father.” - #3. Loki bit her tongue in effort to keep in the laughter.

“Mama!”, the child in question squealed and ran to her, crashing into Loki's legs with momentum and eyes full of glinting pride.

“They'we daddies are hewoes, too!”

“Oh really? Tell me more, darling.”, she told her daughter and crouched down, making a small gesture to excuse her to the gossips.

“I said my Daddy is a hewo, and they said theiws awe too! Colin's daddy is a doc!”

“Really now?”

“Mama, what's a doc?”, Ásdís asked after a second. Loki chuckled.

“A doctor helps people. He makes them healthy when sick and saves their lives.”

“Daddy does that. And Boozie.”

Grinning, the god nodded. Apparently done with the utmost important matter, the child rushed away again.

“Such a sweetheart! May I ask her age?” - #2.

“She turned two the other week. She speaks very clear for her age, what can I say, she babbles since she was six months, just like her father.”

“And look at that, she is so polite!” - #4 said and watched Loki's daughter interacting with one of their own children. “She just asked Susan to 'please pass her the sand'. She is adorable.”

Fun. Pure fun. The sorceress almost burst with pride for her daughter.

Some of the older children began playing Superheroes, and the younger girls were the damsels in distress to be rescued. A Captain America saved Susan, and Ásdís blared for Hulk to get her. Chuckling, Loki crossed her arms and watched. One of the boys heard her pleas and changed from Spiderman to Hulk, rescuing her from the bad Dr.Doom, and the girl asked for a piggy back ride with a wide smile.

The women cooed at the sight, their boys and girls so adorable and playing with a child some years younger made them proud.

“Iron Man is the best!”, a sand-haired boy around five years of age yelled out.

“But he's _green_ now!”, another one blared. “Captain America stays true!”

“Come on, nobody will best the Mighty Thor!”, a third one cried out, and Loki felt a little sympathy for Clint and Natasha, not once mentioned yet.

Ásdís eyes lit up as her Uncles were mentioned. She knew that they had other names when protecting the city and would recognize them even in costume.

She rushed back to her mother, smacking head first into one of the other mothers before stumbling away a step, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry.”, she said with a shy grin and hid behind Loki's legs.

#3 smiled back.

“Nothing happened, deary. Such a well mannered little lady you are.”

Ha, ill mannered my ass. Silly Cow.

“Mama, I want Teeve. And Uncle Toto and Nane.”

“Oh Sweetie, they're with Daddy. They have some horribly boring meeting with important people.”

Scrunching up her face, the girl thought about it for a moment.

“Is Boozie with them?”

Loki nodded.

“Nattie and Bwain, too?”

“I fear so, Munchkin. But I think they will be done soon.”

Doubtfully, Ásdís looked at her Mama.

“Can we have stowy evening togethew?”, she asked.

“I'll ask. Knowing them, they would love to. Now go and play a bit more, the heroes miss their princess!”

And gone she was again.

“Big family?”, #1 asked with a smile.

“So to speak. We live in the same building, so they see her more often than not, and they adore each other.”

“That was clear to see. You are very lucky to have so many babysitters at hand.”

“And for free, too.”, Loki added with a smirk. “Dizzy is never alone, and she loves them to death.”

“I'd give a leg for something like that.”, #4 laughed.

Ah, well. Loki looked forward to the second the gossips would recognize her.

When Tony called a few minutes later with the whiny threat to send Fury to hell sometime, the Trickster laughed and told him to come by and have a bit of fun.

“Sure. I'll fly in, since we're somewhere between Japan and Nicaragua, or something equally far away.”

“You're in Washington.”, she deadpanned.

“Yeah, whatever, see you in a bit! Love you!”

Norns, this man.

He needed exactly ten minutes and twenty-six seconds to appear at the sky over Central Park. Enough time for Ásdís to prove what a delightful well-mannered and timid child she was, most of the time in any case, and how lovely the mother-daughter-relationship was.

One of the boys – Colin, perhaps – spotted him first, wide eyed and surprised, and even more rooted to the spot as he came nearer and nearer.

“Mum!”, he yelled. “Mum, there's Iron Man! Look!”

“Where?”

Tony was sticking out for a mile with the sky clear and blue as background, and the children all gathered to see him more or less fall out of the same not even ten feet away.

“Hey there, Beautiful!”, the tinny voice sounded before the suit began to peel away (the finally finished MarkU1 with Uru-Gold-Alloy), and the women around Loki fawned like teenagers – how insincere, to first belittle him to be bad and emotionally crippled, and then something like that.

Loki grinned and sucked up the endearment. It was hers, after all.

Ásdís was the first to make a dash for Tony, and the others followed and passed her in no time with longer legs, throwing a litany of “Iron Man!” in his direction.

Tony laughed and backed away a step before the first kids were at his feet. Over the sound of their screeching, his daughters own voice faded, and as she was so much smaller than the others, she was left behind by the group of kids.

Well, never being one to sit back and cry silently, she sucked in a breath and blared out so loud that Loki's eyes widened in amusement and she had to suppress a laugh.

“Daddy!”, it was heard, and Tony's head whipped around to find the source of the distressed sound in the horde of children, face lighting up as he found her.

“You all must give me just a tiny second to-”, he started and ruffled heads while squeezing through the children, reaching behind Susan and lifting up Ásdís with a bright smile.

“There you are, Pumpkin!”, he said, effectively stunning the kids and their mothers as the child kissed him with a wet smack, giggling and already chattering away whom she had met, and who had rescued her while playing, and Tony being the responsible father he was just listened and made the right noises and sounds at the right time.

Loki smirked gleefully at the four faces that stared at her.

“Emotionally deprived, I see.”, she drawled and nodded to her husband, who just had begun to talk to the rest of the children with enthusiasm. “Such a lonely child, really.”

The gossips had the decency to turn beet-red.

“It was _so_ nice meeting you, ladies, but I have to return to the attention-seeking kid my daughter will surely turn into. Have a nice day!”, she trolled, already on her way to the mass of bodies where Tony and Ásdís were standing.

A boy tugged at her dress with wide eyes.

“You're Loki.”, he said astonished, and the god nodded with a warm smile.

“Cleverly deducted, Mr. Holmes.”, she said, making him beam.

“I thought you were a boy.”, he stated curiously, and Loki crouched down to him.

“Well, sometimes I am a girl. It's a magic trick I can do.”

Susan turned to her, too, then, and wanted to see the trick. The sorceress grinned.

“I don't think your parents would like to see a boy in a dress. I would look quite hilarious.”

A bunch of kids squealed 'Pleeeeease!', and Tony smirked.

“Go on, Rudolph, cannot disappoint your fans like that.”

Pondering that statement for a second, Loki tapped her chin.

“Ah, I know. Step back, please – I don't want to hurt you.”

She cupped her hands, and by opening them, there was a tiny flame in the bowl her fingers made, growing until it was as wide as a grapefruit, vividly burning, bright reds and yellows mixing to orange.

The kids stared in wonder. Loki flicked her thumb, and the flame turned violet, then green.

“Uuuuuuh!”, they chorused, fascinated and spellbound, and the sorceress chuckled, snuffing out the flame with a wipe of her hands. The children 'aw'ed and scrambled together as Loki turned to her husband, demanding another legerdemain.

“Dearies, enough for today. You've seen Iron Man and a Magician – you can brag that around if you want to. Ásdís needs a bed, badly, and the rest of you may want to shuffle home now.”

“Very good idea. C'mere.”, Tony grinned, pulling Loki close while balancing his daughter on the other arm, already half asleep. “Get us home? With the suit, if you please?”

“Of course, you muggle.”

Grinning and waving, Loki weaved the teleportation spell for the three of them (and the suit) and a second later, they were gone.

And if Tony grouched about the horrid feeling later on while his daughter slept like the dead, well, he never got around the sensation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sváss = (poetic) beloved, dear  
> kind = child; baby; offspring, progeny, family, kin  
> Odin is practically calling Ásdís 'beloved family', what ropes her into the household and all that entails. :D  
> (The Triquetra is the symbol that appeared on Mjölnir while Thor was banished)
> 
> Many thanks for all the sweet and nice reviews! I thrive on your love! :) (Keep them coming, folks ;D)


	6. Northern Standards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mischief and a visit to certain places, Dizzy getting older and asking questions that will make Steve blush.

 

 

“Thor, accompany me, if you please. I need to check the pathways, and we could as well use the trip to inquire about that lead.”

“Must we? Today?”, the blonde Prince whined, clutching his mug to his chest and looking at Loki with wide, powder blue eyes that begged to postpone the travelling. Loki rolled his eyes.

“What, have you not spent enough time with your Lady these last weeks? Whatever you do, it's almost as if you've decided to take the honeymoon before the actual wedding.”

Thor grinned positively debauched, and Loki groaned at the innuendo, a wry grin on his lips.

“You pig. Pray that Jane never hears about this.”

“Come now, brother, the tasks Father has set for her are straining at the minimum, she needs the distraction. Else we'll never marry with their blessings.”

“Really, you use _sex_ to distract her? And that works?”, the sorcerer chuckled amused, shaking his head while he gathered his papers and notes in a leather bag.

Thor leaned back and smirked at him with his nose high.

“I am not called God of Fertility for nothing. You should know best.”, he said, and Steve chose that exact moment to make himself known with a bold cough, aiming for a cup of coffee.

“Don't tell me you Norse Gods have a similar notion as the Greek ones. You know, the whole incestuous loving in the families and so on.”, he drawled.

Loki and Thor looked at each other for a moment.

“Don't tell Tony, please.”, the Trickster asked, taking a small sip from his own cup, and Steve's jaw raced down to meet the floor while his eyes bulged.

“What- oh God, really?”, he breathed, searching for Thor's gaze. The God of Thunder – and Fertility – evaded him and hid his face as good as he could in the mug.

“Heavens.”, the soldier breathed hoarse, frantically looking to and fro between the brothers. “I- Loki, you have to tell him! That is... I mean, you're not really blood, and... it doesn't matter, Tony deserves to know!”, he said with an urgent tone in his voice.

“Steve-”

“I won't say a word, I promise but you have to tell him.”

“Cap.”

“It's okay, really, I don't judge.”

“Dude, chill. He's fucking with you.”, Clint threw in after a few seconds of standing in the doorway with a wide grin. Steve's previously rather shocked face (struggling to understand what the hell happened that he of all people would have to deal with a secret like this) turned into a betrayed mask of 'kicked puppy' eyes. Loki could have sworn he practised that special face just for him and Tony. No way he would be that sad about a joke.

“Friend Clint, your inability to partake in a jest is highly sorrowful.”, Thor intoned with a heavy voice that made his younger brother snicker.

“Pull your crap with Bruce, but don't mess with our virtuous maiden.”, the archer demanded with a smirk.

Steve spluttered.

“Maiden!”

Loki doubled over in laughter.

 

 

In the end, Loki chose to have mercy with Thor and leave alone. Hopping from one pathway to the other was tedious and boring, but for the moment, they were guarded and watched over by Einherjers and sorcerers alike, so the younger Prince had no pressing need to place spells or traps on them.

Just as he was readying himself to leave again, he remembered to inquire about his estates, the northern lands he was Lord over. The god winced as he remembered how desolate the region had been when he first visited after his return to the living. Whoever had been designated to watch over his demesne, they had done a horrendous job at it. Loki had worked hard to see his lands prosper and flourish, the soil being barren in the main, streaked with stone and mountain where one could not farm and harvest, the weather being hard on the livestock that Asgard could breed. It had taken three centuries for him to see this part of the Realm grow and burgeon, and he was immensely proud of it.

Six years and it all was fallow.

He sighed, tapping his magic and teleporting into the city that had proven to be the hub of the northern regions.

“My Lord!”, the mayor greeted him before he even had manifested completely in her office, wringing a chuckle out of the sorcerer.

“Hlífa. It is good to see you. And in radiant health as well.”, he answered her with a smile and a suggested bow.

“You sycophant. I am too old to be in radiant health, deary.”, the woman prattled and forced Loki into a hug, which he gave back immediately.

“What ails you, then? Is it your back again?”

She laughed.

“Ah, I do not mention my back any more, seeing as you have done wonders to it – I cannot claim to be unable to carry stuff around any more, you wicked boy. No, lately it is my gout.”, she complained with a small smile, and the Trickster could not help the laugh that escaped him.

“You know, you would be the very first Aesir with gout. It is an ailment so phenomenally human and mortal that even you would not succeed with that plot, Hlífa.”

“One never knows before one has tried.”, she replied airily and scuttled over to the hearth and the kettle.

“Tell me about the state of affairs, if you please. Are imports and exports rising again?”

“Yes, but not as fast as we thought it would. Since word has reached the lands of your adoption, many of the other regions have decided to disassociate, whether of fear or out of spite I do not know. The idiot they left us with after you disappeared was a biased fool who had never handled something like our lands before. And now your name alone lets them bare the teeth.”

Loki frowned. That was not positive at all, since all his estates had to offer were crafted goods and the occasional rare delicacy or mining product. They relied on trade with other cities and regions.

“How did Brestir react to the distancing?”

Hlífa scoffed and handed Loki a cup of steaming tea.

“He almost destroyed his office, as always. Said they were bumbling morons that would not know a crafty salesman if they bit them in the ass, that you were the only intelligent Lord around for millennia.”

“Well, to be fair I am the one with the vast knowledge on agricultural and commercial matters. Neither Thor nor Balder have ever seen significance in studying such.”

The old woman tutted at him and shot him a look that made him cringe.

“Because they have subordinates who coordinate for them. As your predecessor had, too. You're the first Lord in a very long time to take matters in your own hands and oversee directly what happens.”

Loki had known that, of course.

When Odin had made him Lord over the northern lands, he had been furious. The region was known to be catastrophic and ill-fated, too much sun in summer, too much snow in winter, and all kinds of hindrances to properly feed its inhabitants.

No Lord had ever accomplished more than a miniscule rise in wealth and affluence. Loki had thought it to be another jab at him being inferior to Thor, and had set to work with grim alacrity, bound and determined to get his lands out of that pit of doom, to show Asgard that he was indeed capable to reign even the most barren part of the Realm Eternal.

Most Aesir did not give him credit for the success, though, and claimed he had used magic to enhance their skill and craftsmanship. That he had tricked his way to triumph.

It had been sixteen months ago that Odin confessed to have set Loki to these estates intentionally, to see if not the young man with the penchant to do things his own way would be what was needed to get the northern regions in prosperity again.

And well, here he was again, to begin anew.

“Did you tell anyone that you are a Jotun?”, Hlífa asked in passing, sorting through a heap of parchment. Loki choked on the tea.

“Oh deary, breath. There is no point in asphyxiating yourself over the matter.”

“Why do you... how...”, he asked, still coughing and wide-eyed. The old woman chuckled.

“It was an educated guess. I have made it a habit to listen very carefully what people say, and even if you have always been a source of gossip all over the Realm, the true parts mostly stay the same. You have been to Jotunheim before your brother's banishment, and you tried to destroy their Realm afterwards. Coupled with the few stories I heard about you being ridiculously comfortable in the snowstorms Brestir complains about, it was not all too hard to deduct.”

“That is not very much to base such accusation on, Hlífa.”

“Oh, but you verified it yourself. Your reaction told tales. The 'how' in your question really was all I needed.”

“You are an old wretch.”, Loki hissed.

“Stop the name-calling, you are not raised a peasant, much less a Jotun. Act accordingly, my Lord.”, she insisted and sat down again, completely unconcerned and unimpressed by the scathing look Loki threw her way.

“So what now? What do you want for your silence?”

Hlífa stared at him for a moment before laughing heartily.

“It is not my secret to unveil, my Prince. We northerners have the habit to not look too closely on heritage seeing as it does not bring any benefit or advantage.”

She looked at him warmly, apparently trying to soothe his frown and narrowed eyes.

“I am old enough to remember the time before the last Great War, Loki, and even if the Frost Giants are a bunch of barbaric brutes, they are living and breathing beings just like any other Race stemming from the Nine Realms. My brother once was married to one, I should know. Beautiful woman, that one. They have gorgeous females.”

“Your sister-in-law is a Jotun.”, Loki repeated, tasting the words like a bad smell.

While he had accepted to be another race as his brother, and yes, that he was a Frost Giant, the god never had accepted to be related to any actual Jotuns, however weird that sounded. He could agree to be a Frost Giant in biological regards, but his mind had never been one of them.

“Unna was a very nice woman. There are cultural differences, but mostly we did get on well with each other. What I mean to tell you,” she sighed, “is that your heritage does not matter here. Brestir told me, and I cite: 'A serendipity that our Lord of all people could be a Jotun – at least he could deal with these storms and weathers better than any other.'”

The Trickster closed his eyes briefly. Had it been that obvious? Were the people of the city truly that blind to their Prince that no one had noticed or were the Aesir of his lands just exceptionally able at deduction?

“Do not fret, My Lord. It needed time to actually sink in what you hide under your spells – I assume it is a spell, Unna was not nearly as fair-skinned as you are.”, Hlífa said drily, and Loki absolutely had to let the wry grin slip on his lips.

“A glamour.”

“I see. Well, Brestir and I are the only ones who actually believed the tales that were spun about your heritage, and we are not eager to betray you like others would. As I have said, it is your secret to unveil. We rely on you and your clever little head to help us out. We cannot afford to lose a man such as you to petty dislike and racism.”

“To rat me out as soon as your ongoing prosperity is ensued?”

“Norns, you are a sceptic like I have never seen one before. I swear to you, Prince Loki of Asgard, that neither I nor Brestir have any intentions to sell you out as long as we live. May Skuld cut my threat shall I speak a lie.”

Loki groaned with a grin.

“Some time she will hear you, woman, and will just do it so you cease to call upon her every time you need to prove a point.”

“Oh well, I could switch to her sisters.”

 

 

It was in the middle of September that Tony and Loki found themselves staring on one of Jarvis' screens while down in the lab, trying to understand what just had happened.

“Did... did our girl really just ask _Steve_ why there's not another one of her sort?”

“Apparently.”, Loki answered, numbly looking at the feed Jarvis played them.

Ásdís and Cap sat together at the kitchen table, eating dinner, when the child had asked as innocently as she could why she had no brother.

Steve had almost choked on his toast.

“Can we buy one?”, had been her next question, and when the blonde answered that children were not to be bought, she scrunched up her cute face, stared at him with her huge brown-green eyes and wanted to know where children came from if not from a market.

It had been hilarious to watch at first.

That is, until the implication settled into both Loki, and a few seconds after in Tony, too.

While Steve had tried to explain that when a Mum and a Dad liked each other very much, there sometimes could magic happen and a child would come to be (Loki was sure his daughter would demand of him to conjure her a sibling now and was already planning on how to pay the soldier back), Ásdís' parents had gingerly looked at each other, not sure what the other thought or wanted, both minds racing through options and dangers and whatever they could come up with.

“Papa and Daddy like each other. I can get a bwother?”, the girl had asked in that exact moment, and Steve groaned with a grin, burying his head in his hands.

“You know what, honey, why don't you talk with your parents about this?”

She frowned at him, piercing a small potato with her fork.

“They awe busy. You awe hewe. I want a bwother.”

Loki had gaped at the screens with wide eyes, searching her face for any trace of mischief or joking, but found only honest curiosity and a deep want in his daughter's face.

“Um. Yeah. Mute it, J.”, Tony had cut the surreal thing off and spun around on his chair in a clear attempt to stall for time.

“Shall we... talk about it?”, Loki asked cautiously, thoughts already going crazy inside his head.

Yes, he probably wanted another one, but now? There was so much he had to do besides caring for a second child. The sorcerer had been so sure the matter could wait for some more years to come.

There was the thing with Doom that was more fishy than any sushi bar could hope to be, and he still needed to get a lead on Algrim and his goons. Loki had never thought about siring another child for real.

Until Ásdís asked about it, that is.

The notion made his belly flutter in excitement. Oh, by all the Norns and Yggdrasil.

“Do we need to? I mean, perhaps it has crossed my mind once or twice, but...”, Tony replied, idly playing with a screw on his desk to occupy his fingers.

“It would not be ideal now.”

“No, absolutely not. I mean, with Doom all powered up it's too dangerous.”

“Not to mention the Elves.”

“No, can't forget them.”

“We'll wait a bit longer?”

“Probably for the best, yeah.”

“Okay. Good.”

“Good.”

It was awkward, to say the least.

“So, about this molecular scanner your medical staff uses...”, Tony asked then, and Loki all but jumped at the opportunity to change the topic.

 

 

“Let us drink and be merry, my friends, as my Lady has passed all her tasks! We shall be wed in a fortnight!”, Thor boomed with the widest grin Loki had ever seen on his face, and Jane just rolled her eyes before sipping on her beer.

“Congratulations, Jane, this is an achievement to be proud of – the Allfather has a penchant to make it exceedingly difficult to get citizenship within Asgard.”, the sorcerer smiled at her and raised his glass, what had her snort.

“I noticed. But hey, nothing like showing them what a human is made of.”, Jane answered and grinned at him. Loki laughed.

“I trust the council was rather morose and sulking while you were officially installed as Thor's betrothed?”

“Very satisfying. They are idiots. Most of them, at least.”

“How come I never had to do tests?”, Tony asked, cutting a sausage into small pieces for Ásdís to eat. “I mean, yes, you were rather dead for them when we married, but now you're reinstated and all. Tell me, I'm curious.”

Loki smirked at him, clearly amused.

“Technically, our marriage is not considered legal in Asgard exactly because of this.”

Tony's mouth fell open in horror at this statement. The rest of the Avengers and Pepper snickered at his face.

“What do you mean, not legal? You wear my ring, and you have my name, it can't get any more legal as that.”, he grumbled in consternation. “I don't care what they think, you're mine, period.”

“That's what I thought, and why I never brought it up. You do not require citizenship, so it is not as important as for Jane and Thor.”

The woman sighed annoyed, almost a huff as she shot him a look.

“I failed gloriously in any attempt of having a clue in ruling matters.”, she said, and Loki, Pepper and Natasha furrowed their brows while thinking what that would mean.

“So what, they just accepted that?”, Pep wanted to know.

“'Course not, but I shut them up.”

“Oh, do tell. They always try to have the last word.”, Loki inquired, chin resting on propped up hands.

Jane grinned at him, even Thor smirked at the memory, and that made the Trickster so much more curious. She sat down her glass and cleared her throat.

“I told the court that I had really not the slightest interest in ruling or being Queen. They could take their crown and place it where the sun doesn't shine, for all I care, and as long as this farce would finally end. I just wanna marry him, nothing more, I didn't even know what giving him a chance would entail in the long run, and I am so not cut out for anything queenly.”

“But _that_ they accepted?”, Natasha asked while laughing, making Jane snort and lift up her chin with pride.

“As if. They were so sure to have me out before dusk, and that's where it gets really funny – Thor showed up and proclaimed he would marry me either way, so they better get their heads out of their mangos and be done with it.”

It roused a round of laughter out of all of them, imagining the crown Prince to declare he'd do what he wanted, against his kingdoms rules, defying his own father.

Loki had not thought that Thor would truly do it if necessary. He always had followed the basic rules at least, even if enforcing his will when he wanted to. Going against Odin regarding that matter would have never been an option, however strong he had rebelled in situations that required the warrior he was.

“For once, brother, I expressly agree with you using your stubbornness for a cause. Well done.”, he said, and the happy and knowing smile he got back from Thor was enough for Loki to see that he knew exactly that it had been right to do what he had done.

“Frigga had to actually turn away so no one would see her snicker, and Odin facepalmed with as much dignity as he could muster. I'm not sure, but I think I heard him complain that Loki had a significant influence in Thor's actions.”, Jane went on in the tale, still grinning widely, and Thor slung his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek with a wet 'smack'.

“I would have given up the throne if you so wished it, and the court knows that. Ruling is such a boring and tedious matter, and demanding, I found. Really, I rather would guard the Realms like I do right now than be chained to the palace and oversee them.”

Well, Loki could fully understand that. It was his own thought on the matter.

Wait.

“Don't you dare flee your responsibility to Asgard, or I swear, I will force you to.”, he hissed, and the Blonde had the gall to smirk at him.

“Brother, even if I would – it is none of your business.”

“You underestimate the effect you stepping down would have, Thor.”

“Now it gets interesting.”, Bruce mumbled with a smile, and leaned back.

“Of course I know you would be the next one in line, I would just grant you what you sought out in your mad scramble for power all these years ago.”, he said, pointedly taking a small sip of his wine while innocently looking at his brother, who pouted and regarded him with the most heart-melting look he could muster.

“Don't do this to me, big brother. I beg of you.”, he whined.

Their friends broke out in a fresh bout of laughter.

Ásdís chose that moment to squeeze the ketchup all over the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Balder is a cousin in my plotline - forget about him, I just needed another name.  
> I just finished writing the big turn of events, estimated final word count 100k (probably more). We're getting plot! Yay ^^
> 
> Note to CoffeeCakes26: You asked for it. (And yes, I had already written that part.)  
> Let's see if they really do it.
> 
> Thank you all so much! I love you :D


	7. Asgardian Stag Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgardian pre-wedding rites, and what to do about them.

 

 

“Do you have any information about a Jotun's biology?”

“Of course I have, my Lord.”, Hlífa said and got up to search for the papers and books she could provide. “I have often talked with Unna, and I gathered as much as I could, as I fear our libraries are quite scarce on that matter.”

Loki watched her fetch what she could find, what was significantly more than he had found in the royal library as of now. She placed the books and loose sheets in front of him on her desk and pushed them in his direction.

“We have heard of Thor's betrothal to his mortal. Please relay to him our congratulations and best wishes for the future.”

“I will. You have my thanks, Lady Hlífa.”, Loki said while packing up.

“Oh, quit the pleasantries. You do not need flatter me.”

 

 

A little over a week before the wedding should be held, Thor brought the official invitation – this time from the Allfather himself, Loki noticed with a wry grin to him, and got a smirk back. Whomever Jane and he wanted to attend was welcome, and they would be provided like the last time.

“This time without any Infinity Stones?”

“I hope so, brother.”

Loki nodded and Tony had Jarvis rely the invitation to the rest, as Thor wanted.

The God of Thunder fidgeted for a second before shoving his big hands into the pockets of his jeans, shooting the younger one a shy glance.

“Would you do me the honour to hunt with me?”, he then asked.

The Trickster smiled gently.

“I had hoped you'd ask. It would be my pleasure.”

Whatever tension Thor had fell away in an instant.

“Then we shall return triumphantly and with adequate quarry.”, he beamed, making Loki laugh softly.

“To be honest, I thought we could perhaps use the day to inquire about the lead as well – we have not had time to search for Algrim these last month, and knowing you any actual hunt will bear fruit instantly.”

“Explanation, please.”, Tony demanded while tinkering with a gauntlet.

“It is tradition for the groom to hunt for a fine fur that will serve the consummation of marriage as bedding. The finer the fur, the more blessed the union will be.”, Loki said while browsing through one of his newly acquired books about Jotnar.

“In a similar matter to your stag's night, the groom asks the men he wants as party to hunt with him, and then they go off and have fun. Hunting is quite the activity. We should try it sometime.”

Tony raised a brow at them and gave them his best 'Do I look like a guy to do whatever you just proposed'-look. Loki rolled his eyes.

“Bore.”

Turning back to his brother, the green eyed man leaned a bit over the table, chin on one hand and elbow on the surface.

“Now, tell me, who else will accompany us? Surely Asgard's finest have battled each other for the chance to be bestowed with such honour.”, he asked with a smirk, immensely interested in whatever shenanigans the Aesir idiots had bumbled into. Thor boomed with laughter.

“You would have revelled in their eagerness to be invited, Loki. Alas, I denied them all, of course. This is to be a matter of friends, not of honour.”

Ah, well. The Dorky Four, then, it seemed.

“Do your warriors know that you planned to ask me, too, or are they waiting for you and we'll surprise them?”

Thor grinned at him.

“You misunderstand, brother. I denied them _all._ This hunting party will be us alone, the way I had always envisioned.”

_Oh_.

Now, that was not what the sorcerer had expected. He stared dumbstruck at the older god, merry and with glinting eyes sitting in armchair opposite the couch.

“You and me only.”

Thor nodded. Loki snorted and rubbed his forehead with a smirk.

“They will loath me even more after that. All right, when do we leave?”

“On the morrow. Rest assured that I do not care about petty feelings over this matter, as it is my decision, and mine alone. If I want to spend the day solely with my brother, I will do so. They need to learn to accept you at my side one of these days.”

Loki himself could not care less about any of their feelings, but felt a deep case of family sentiment raising in his chest.

“I have told all of my friends repeatedly that I would ask you alone to be my companion. They should respect my wish.”

Tony, who had been remarkably silent these last few minutes, finally let the screwdriver fall from his hands and eyed the gauntlet with an enquiring eye.

“Bring him back unharmed, if you please, and make sure he doesn't go off to make out with a deer or something like that, I heard he has a bad history with hoofed animals.”

“Oh, you...!”, Loki started and grabbed his husband at the neck, pulling him down to him and starting a tickle attack under the roaring laughter of Asgard's Crown Prince.

“I shall go and inform my Lady that we will be on our way in the morn.”, he said and left with a grin.

Loki still tickled Tony mercilessly, and the smaller man already was tearing up and panting helplessly.

“Stop, S-stop, please!”, he huffed out between two laughs. Who had known Tony Stark would be that ticklish, huh?

“I'm sorry!”, he laughed, squirming in his lovers arms. “I'll never say something again!”

“Highly unlikely, dear.”, Loki deadpanned, but ceased his torturing and backed away. Tony wheezed out a high-pitched sound, trying to get his harsh panting back into something resembling human standards and remained limp on the couch.

“So, where is my fur?”, he huffed, gazing up to his husband with big brown eyes. Loki smirked.

“I was the bride, you remember. You should give the fur to me if anything.”

“Oh, come on, I didn't know. Couldn't you go with the boys and make this some kind of after-wedding-stag-night? I even would play bride upon your return.”, the engineer proposed, waggling his brows with innuendo, making the Trickster chuckle.

“So eager to get bedded by me?”

“Hey, sexy as banana God in my bed, of course I am.”

“Perhaps I return with a pelt if you ask nicely enough.”

Tony had not asked, Loki thought after they had used the absence of their daughter to the fullest and had done fantastically dirty things to each other in a lot of places.

Tony had _begged_.

And not only for the fur.

 

 

The lead turned out to be real for the first time.

Arriving in Nidavellir, they asked around, hearing of strange cloaked people who bought weapons and made the dwarves shiver in anxiety.

Visiting one of the smithy's, Loki sensed a faint energy signature that he recognized immediately as the Aether's.

Finally, they had something to work with. They squeezed the dwarves for any information they could acquire, and, while on the Realm that formerly was inhabited by the Dark Elves, wandered the fields and plains, hidden by a spell, to see if they could be encountered by chance.

Both Thor and Loki did not know if they were lucky or unfortunate when they returned to Asgard that day without any more than that faint trace.

Instructing Heimdall to search on their homeland once more, now perhaps able to feel and see the disturbance a shrouding spell might bring with it, both Princes thought about where to go to hunt.

“Jotunheim has the biggest beasts.”, Thor said, and Loki shuddered.

“Mangy and shabby, all of them, their hide is not worth the while. Let us seek out the plains of Vanaheim and hunt for game there.”

“Nay, too easy a prey for such an occasion. Perhaps we should make for Muspellheim.”

Pondering that for a second, the black haired man mouthed a spell, softly igniting it with a flick of his wrist. An orb of light appeared before his face, and he gazed intently into the glowing sphere before extinguishing it between the palms of his hand.

“Well, that would make for an adventure. My calendar's just verified the Eldrkyn are nesting right now.”

A bold grin sneaked up on Thor's face as he straightened his stance and wandered to the edge of the Bifröst.

“If that is settled, then, brother, I would like to return to my bride within a day.”

“Be aware that I will not allow you entrance to the Bifröst as long as there is danger to the dome.”, Heimdall stated drily while he watched the two men get ready.

“Be calm, old friend, we will make sure your sanctuary is not endangered.”, Thor snickered.

“Stay safe, then.”, the All-Seeing said and opened the way.

 

 

“Ew. Gross.”

Whatever Loki had just dumped on the workbench in front of Tony had made a sickening sound like wet skin on stone, and the engineer pushed himself away from the stainless steel desk to greet his husband with an embrace and perhaps a kiss (and to bring distance between himself and that... whatever it was).

He did neither. Tony raised an eyebrow at Loki and smirked.

“You look a bit... um, scorched, darling.”

“That happens when hunting on Muspellheim.”

“Isn't that the Fire World?”

Loki hummed in consent and poked the thing on the table with a sigh.

“I hate tanning. Reptilian skin is so difficult to work with.”

“Oh gods, Lokes, what is this?”, Tony asked with disgust, eyeing the monstrosity on his desk with a frown. The god poked it again, lifting it with pinched fingers to reveal the bloody underside, making Tony almost gag.

“Seriously, what _is_ this thing?”

Giving his husband an annoyed look, he lifted it a bit higher.

“I only fulfilled your wish. Thor graciously has parted with half of his game. Of course, I helped getting down the beast, so technically it is mine by right.”, he said, scrunching up his face and set it aside again.

“This is the hide for my bride.”

“Oh babe, you shouldn't have.”, Tony intoned drily and eyed the thing warily. “What poor creature did die for this?”

Loki looked positively proud as he answered.

“A dragon.”

“A drag-- oh for the love of god, you cannot possibly mean to tell me there actually exist animals akin to dragons.”, Tony exclaimed. The sorcerer's smile grew wider.

“There do exist animals like your dragons. They are called Eldrkyn, fire-kin in your tongue, very fitting. So, I will have to pulp and tan it, but afterwards we probably could utilize it for its intended use.”

“Holy Grapes, no way you'll ever get me naked on that thing.”

“Tradition has it that the first-born shall be conceived on it.”

“Done that already, no lever there for me. Can't make me.”

And no, Tony did not want to know where Loki had hidden that knife he just procured to begin pulping the bloody skin _on his worktable_.

“Whoa, full-stop there, Reindeer Games, no gross defleshing or other medieval Grapes here in my lab!”

Rolling his eyes, the taller man shot him a look out of the corner of his eyes, but continued scraping of bits and pieces of flesh.

“Shall I take this upstairs and scare our daughter?”

“Oh Heavens, no, just... arrgh.”, Tony ground out and ruffled his hair.

“Why must you be so Viking? Don't you have servants for these kinds of things up in Asgard, with you being all princely and Grapes?”

Loki snickered at him while getting rid of the waste with a soft swish of his hand. Banana-ing Kiwi, Tony really did not want to know where this ended up vanishing to.

“We are a race of warriors and hunters, Anthony, what exactly did you expect? Of course any boy learns how to hunt, and what to to with the kill afterwards.”

“Did you really slay a dragon and kind of fulfil almost any kind of fairy tale by accident?”

It was silent for a second, and the genius billionaire did pointedly not look at whatever gruesome fate befell the hide.

“Actually, to be perfectly honest, we did not really... um... _hunt_ this one. We had our eyes set on something a bit smaller, nothing quite that dangerous. Eldrkyn are exceptionally hard to kill, and a bit on the aggressive side, too.”, Loki admitted, still scraping away at the underside. “While we waited for game to get in our range, this specimen decided to brawl with another one, and get himself injured quite deadly. He was adolescent at best and bled out before we had a chance to run for our lives as we would have done in any other situation.”

“And so you thought 'never look a gift horse in the mouth', huh?”

Loki grinned.

“See, this is a proverb we use, too. And yes, that is exactly what we did. He was quite beautiful, just _look_ at this perfect and unblemished piece of skin. Granted that this is by no means fur, but I do not care and Thor has brought down a beautiful wolf to skin.”, he said with glistening eyes and turned the now flesh-free lobe around, smacking it down on the metal table with a slapping sound that made Tony's stomach churn.

Even if his husband was right, and the thing looked damn near mythical.

“Banana me, but these are really reptilian scales. Holy kiwi, you have slain a dragon.”, he breathed with a chuckle and rubbed his forehead.

“Yes we have.”

Tentatively reaching out, Tony touched one scale with his index finger, shutting his eyes with a wince. Loki groaned.

“What now? Really, I thought you would be a bit less... pansy.”

“Hey, I'm no sissy, don't you imply something like that.”

Feeling the texture of the scales with the palm of his hand was a very strange sensation. Tony's brain had not yet reached the stage where it would recognize this as a real dragon hide.

This was so straight from Harry Potter.

And Gods if it wasn't hot as hell.

Loki snickered at him once more.

“You are a naughty, naughty boy, Mr. Stark. You totally get off on the idea to lie with me on the hide.”

“Guilty as charged. When have you finished tanning it?”

“Probably the day before we have to leave for the wedding.”

“Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'M back :D
> 
> Thank you for the continued interest, I promise you a lot more fluff and family time, as well as real drama. In about, um, seven chapters. A bit before then.  
> But fluuuuuuff :D
> 
> And before PETA comes and is mean to me - neither Thor nor Loki hunt more than they need, and they do not inflict more pain than necessary to whatever prey they're hunting. They're warriors, and hunters. It's what they do.


	8. Fulfilling Traditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Little else.

 

 

“Toys?”

“Check.”

“Clothing? For all of us?”

“Check.”

“Toiletries?”

“Sir, you seem to have everything.”

Tony sighed relaxed.

“Thank God for small favours.”

A few seconds later Loki entered, Ásdís hot on his heels, wildly gesticulating to whatever story she was telling him.

“...are they like you? You are mawwied. Will they be happy forever?”

Ah, the upcoming wedding. Well, the child was entertained by Disney and fairy tales, what had he expected? Loki smiled and carded through her hair while looking over the bags.

“I should hope so. They like each other very much, just like your Daddy and I do. Hop on the bed already, you can barely restrain yourself.”, he chuckled, and the girl did so with an energetic jump and a cheery yell.

Tony settled down besides her, opening his arms for her when she scuttled over to climb on top of him and cuddle her Daddy, and Loki sat down at the foot of the bed, throwing up an illusion.

“Once upon a time, there was a brave hero who flew around in a suit of armour so finely crafted that no other being on the World could copy it.”

Ásdís smiled and tucked her head under Tony's chin.

“That's Daddy.”, she said, making her Papa nod his head. The illusion of Iron Man turned around in the air, looking at her and waved, and she giggled and waved back.

“Tiny Daddy.”

“Well, there are tall people and tiny people, and your father is a bit on the short side.”

“Hey!”, said man cried out in indignation, pouting at his daughter as she laughed at him. “Not everyone can be a Giant, and I am not short.”

“Tell that to yourself, perhaps you believe it sometime. Anyway, our hero found a lost and lonely girl one day, and decided that she needed his protection.”

Tony smiled fondly at his husband.

“Not that she actually _did_ need it. She needed love and a family.”

“Don't spoil the ending, Anthony.”

They alternated in telling the story how they had come to be a couple, a family. Shortened, of course, and without scaring their daughter too much. She sucked up the words and the pictures Loki's illusion created for her, until her eyelids dropped and she sagged against the engineer like a dead weight, succumbed to sleep and unlikely to awake before dawn.

Tony brought her to her bed, gone for all but three minutes. Returning to the master bedroom, he was greeted by dimmed lights, Loki in nothing more than his boxers, on the same place he had been left, green eyes half-lidded and a playful smirk on his lips.

In his hands there was a bundle, silvery-white, and Tony thought that was how perfect leather would look if there was an animal existing that could be that colour.

And then he remembered.

“I gift to my bride a hide to her liking?”, the sorcerer asked, unfurling the skin and placing it on the bed, covering the sheets almost completely.

“Wicked.”, Tony breathed and hurried over, curious how the skin felt after being processed.

And man, it was awesome. Warm to the touch, soft and pliant, made to be worn.

“Why is it white?”

“Eldrkyn-skin is known for its light colours after tanning – the chemicals react with each other and bleach it. Especially leather from young ones turn out this shade, and ours was almost a nestling. The younger the dragon, the whiter the finished leather.”

Shooting Loki a look, the engineer climbed into bed, crawled over to his husband and kissed him with fervour and longing.

“You are a man of so many talents, Lokes. This is frickin' art.”, he huffed out after they broke apart, and look, the god had his hands under his shirt already. He pulled it off, and the hands wandered to play with his trousers next.

Tony laughed.

“Fuck, this is beyond hot."

"Giving up on the fruits now, huh?"

"Shut up."

And Loki did, lips occupied placing open mouthed kisses all along Tony's upper body, his neck and throat, nibbling at skin and flesh, set on having what the smaller man had promised him a week earlier.

"Just so you know, I'm calling in that promise now.", he murmured into the soft spot behind the engineer's ear, smiling at the shudder that answered him.

"Which promise?", he was answered in a husky voice, Tony's body eagerly pressing into his own. Loki chuckled.

"You wished for a fur. I returned with a hide. You are my bride now, and I shall have you like that.", the god smirked, and a moment later he had his husband on his back while straddling his hips, the familiar hardness already begging for attention at his thigh. The smirk grew wider.

"Lose the grin and get to work, I'm not getting any younger here."

"Patience is a virtue, Stark, and I will install it in you some day.", the sorcerer replied, lightly tracing the skin around the humming arc reactor, then stroking down the flanks and settling on the hips.

A snap of his fingers let Tony's jeans vanish, leaving him naked and obviously very willing, if the sight that greeted Loki was any indication.

"Always so eager for me, my love.", he whispered and followed some invisible lines with his fingers, tracing from navel to the proud erection strutting from between Tony's thighs.

"Could spend eternity with you above or beneath me, Rudolph, I'm never going to get tired of you.", the engineer said and lightly pushed up into the touch of warm digits playing with him. "There'll never be enough from you for me."

"Flattery will gain you nothing."

"Pity."

But Loki relented and wrapped his fingers around his husband's shaft, eliciting a deliciously wanton groan while the hips were lifted to meet his hand mid-way. Softly stroking, Loki reached for the tube of lube he had fetched earlier, popping it open and (with a little help of his magic) squeezed a liberal amount on his fingers before he sent them on their way between Tony's cheeks, nudging the muscular legs open. The genius spread them without thinking about it, instead just pressing into Loki's hand with need.

He let out another groan when the god simultaneously took his cock into his mouth and rubbed against his perineum with slick fingers, one of them teasing the opening just behind.

"Come on, you can start with more than that.", he muttered and pushed his behind into the contact.

"I repeat: Patience, darling. I intent to take my time with you."

"I am so seriously unable to be patient, Lokes, you should have lear-- ah, _yes_!", he hissed as a finger entered him with a fluid motion, hitting his prostrate with pinpoint precision.

"More, come on, I need it.", he said and rolled his hips against the finger and the warm mouth around his cock, and Loki complied, gently easing another finger into his tight heat. Tony exhaled in pleasure and threw his head back against the pillows, fisting his hands in Loki's black curls.

The Trickster took his time stretching him, lazily thrusting his fingers into his lovers body, sometimes hitting his sweet spot, sometimes evading it teasingly, waiting for Tony to lose control and lose himself in sensations and the overflow of contact and lust. The muscles around his fingers relaxed quickly, taking them in and holding him while Tony rocked back into his hand. Sucking and licking went in time with languid thrusting. It didn't take long for the engineer to reverse to a state of utter incoherence, moaning, whining and begging for more, forced to endure the slow, gentle ministrations Loki graced him with, going mad with want an need.

Tony did not even register the third finger until they pressed against his prostrate with just enough force to put him to the brink of orgasm, held back only because the tight hold on the base of his prick, and he let out a string of words without meaning, without sense, a failed try to come back to reality. His head swam, he could not decide whether he should pay more attention to the fantastically talented mouth that sucked him down or the equally nimble fingers that worked him open and ready for his lover's own hardness, rubbing against his calf.

"'m ready, fuck me already!", he forced out, not even knowing if his tongue had accomplished the feat of relaying the message clear enough for Loki to understand.

Obviously the sorcerer had understood his plea, regardless if Tony had managed to speak words instead of syllables, because he drew back completely, rearranging the engineer's limbs so he could sink between his legs and nudge the head of his own erection against the waiting opening.

Tony mewled. He didn't care what sound he made, he just _wanted_.

His legs fell open wider, a clear invitation. Loki took it and sheathed himself into Tony with a single, smooth stroke before stilling again, head thrown back, eyes closed and enjoying the soft heat around his prick, not allowing his husband to move a single inch without his approval.

"Lokes...", he whispered, voice hoarse from panting, clenching his muscles and willing the god to move already.

"Hush.", he was answered, and the pale body leaned forward to capture his lips in a tender kiss, keeping still while Tony tried to make him start the act finally – futile. When Loki was set, there was no changing his plans, and now he wanted slow and teasing. Tony gave up, falling into the kiss and the intimacy that spread around them.

He became aware of the dragon hide under his bare torso again. Its supple warmth embraced his skin, and he grinned at the thought that he really was fucking on a mythical being just about now.

Still caressing Tony's face with his lips, Loki hooked one of Tony's legs up in the crook of his elbow and at least started thrusting.

Talk about delayed gratification. It was heavenly.

And damn, how did the guy hit his prostrate with every move? It was like he had built-in GPS. Perfect aim or the like.

He groaned.

"More. Need more.", he breathed out, unable to keep his eyes open under the steady rhythm, and was indulged on the spot as his husband sped up, getting rougher with him.

He did not last long. The combination of soft ministrations and hard pounding sent him flying over the edge in no time at all, even without added stimulation to his cock.

Loki rode him through the high with quick, sharp thrusts, snapping his hips in the perfect angle to slam into Tony's prostrate and milking him dry with it, leaving him gasping and whining after he had spent himself.

"God fucking Hell.", he wheezed, and Loki slowed down, stopping altogether when the engineer ceased shaking.

"Almost, dear. Your name is Anthony, not 'Hell'.", the sorcerer joked with a smirk, still hard inside his husband and unfinished, leaning over him and bracing himself, hands at the sides of Tony's head.

"Git.", he huffed out, closing his eyes with a content groan. "Shit, I am a fucking lucky guy when someone like you has the hots for me."

Loki smirked wider and pulled away.

"As lucky as I am to have you."

"Geez, don't get sappy on me so shortly after one of the best fucks I ever had."

"Love you too, you whiny bitch."

It took serious effort to sit up, Tony noticed. But he owed his lover an orgasm, or three. Ah well, for that he would return from the dead.

"Give me a minute and I'll return the favour."

Loki pushed him back on the hide with a strong hand, climbing on top of him again, his green, piercing eyes fixed on Tony's brown, and there was something in them that the engineer did not completely understand. His hands had started caressing his husband's body, completely without him noticing, a subconscious action he was made aware of by Loki, who grasped his hands and held them where they lay.

"You will do so much more.", he said, and his voice was heavy with an implication that made Tony swallow just as hard.

"What...?"

He was kissed again, hard and demanding, imperious, and it made his cock twitch in interest, rising again to full hardness in no time. Tony loved being almost-Aesir.

"Don't think I haven't noticed how you look at our daughter with longing, or that your hands keep lingering on my belly.", Loki hissed, and the other looked at their combined hands, just then seeing that they lay just beneath Loki's navel, what made Tony swallow heavily again.

"Lokes, this--"

"Don't."

Shit. Was he angry? But Gods, Tony wanted. He _desired_. Still, they had decided together that they would wait.

The Trickster leaned his head against his, cheek against cheek so that his lips touched the shell of Tony's ear, blowing his breath at it and making gooseflesh appear at the engineer's neck.

"I will tell you what exactly will happen now.", he hissed and nibbled at Tony's ear.

The genius forced himself to remain calm, still pinned under his husband, hands clasped between them on the place where his daughter had rested for nine months.

Fuck, he couldn't stop thinking about how badly he wanted to feel this again.

"You will reverse our positions when I pull away. I have brought back this hide for a reason, and you will fulfil its purpose.", Loki told him and rose again, hands braced on his lovers chest while he straddled him.

Tony couldn't remember for his life what this purpose was with the god on his lap like this, all sexed up and demanding and _enforcing_ what he wanted.

"You will lie with me, bed me, and you _will_ give me another child with your seed on this very hide."

It hit Tony like a train. _“Tradition has it that the first-born shall be conceived on it.”_

He shot up and had Loki under him in no time at all, forcing a hot and yearning kiss upon his lips, returned with the same fervour and passion, the lust fuelled by the image of siring a second child together. More sensing than knowing that his husband had shifted into his wife, he brought his hand down to her slit, praying that he would not have to get her up. Foreplay was so out of his league right now, filled with want and desire as he was, but there was a hot wetness greeting his fingers, making him ache with the need to taste her. Loki slapped them away, spreading her legs in the urgent request to _get the fuck on with it_.

Her labia was swollen and damp, Tony noticed as he went down regardless, licking and sucking at her clit, working her up until she almost lost control, hissing and spitting, hands fisted brutally in his short hair, legs bend around his head.

"Don't-- just, _fuck_ , Tony, fuck me already!", she cried at him, fruitlessly trying to pull him up again.

"You'll not sit down for the next _week_ when I'm through with you.", he panted, face buried in her thigh, nibbling, kissing, sucking, _biting_ , and she hissed and bucked her hips against his mouth when he looked up and shot her a hot look from hooded eyes.

He stopped when Loki was at the edge of coming, pulling away and quickly entering her wet (really really wet) folds in a mimicking manner to Loki's sheathing himself earlier.

Tony did not wait. He gave her all he had, heard her breathless moaning when she finally came, clenching and squeezing around him.

"Fuck, Loki, I love you.", he panted and kept her on the brink of ecstasy, thumb on her clit and aiming to hit her g-spot as often as he could. Loki had thrown back her head and was reduced to a twitching mess, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her body, hands buried in the sheets, short of ripping them apart.

Tony somehow managed to get on his knees, and when he gripped her hips and pulled her up a bit to meet his own a bit higher, the altered angle was enough to push her over the edge a second time, coming with a silent cry and arched back, and her husband was done himself as he watched her body convulse, feeling her walls gripping him.

Harsh panting and breathing filled the room, neither moved, trapped in that post-orgasmic feeling. Finally Tony lowered himself, painstakingly paying attention that they remained connected, pulled Loki into his arms and kissed her tenderly.

"That means we're trying?"

The sorceress chuckled softly, still breathless, and kissed him again, cupping his face.

"We're trying. And I cannot wait for it to happen."

Another kiss followed.

More trying as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There - Just in time with Valetines, I throw out the chapter of pure smut and I hope you liked it!  
> Thank you all for your comments and continued interest :D  
> Have a great day, all of you, regardless if you do something 'special' today or not!!


	9. Ásdís and the Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Asgard, meeting the Dorky Four, and inquiring after a Prince...

 

 

"It is way, way too early to travel.", Tony muttered, grumpy because he had not gotten as much sleep as he wanted. On the other hand there had been the fantastic revelation that Loki was as much into another kid as he was, and hell, had they celebrated it.

"You can sleep when we have arrived, the wedding isn't until tomorrow morning, which means evening in Asgard.", Loki said while packing his notes into a small backpack, in case something should happen while away.

It was a silent understanding between them that they would not tell a soul about it until it was necessary.

This time was for the both of them, excitement and giddy anticipation and bliss, and they would keep it between themselves for the time being.

It was their secret. The sorcerer would stay male as long as possible, entirely hiding the fact that he would not be exclusively male from now on, shifting partially until there would be another life growing inside him. Loki smiled and stood up.

"We're ready. Who wants to call Heimdall?", he asked. Clint was up and waving in under two seconds, and while the rest followed snickering, it reminded Loki of their last travel to Asgard.

It was eerily similar - Leaving from the landing platform, arriving together, horses already waiting for them. He sighed and turned to his daughter, Snipey secured in her grasp, reaching out for her to take his hand.

"Please stay at my side, Ásdís. It is dangerous out here and I would rather not have something happening to you."

"Why?"

"We will go over a bridge, and you could fall off if you are not cautious. We would be sad would you fall."

The little girl took his hand and said a soft "Okay".

"Good girl."

The god was ever so glad he had her secured at his arm because once she saw the mounts, her interest wasn't at all with the dangerous bridge.

"Horsies!", she squealed with eyes wide as saucers, tugging on her Papa's hand in the attempt to goad him along and take her to them.

"Yes, dear, and you know what? We will ride them. You'll come with me and sit in front of me."

"Horsies! I like horsies!", she mumbled, agitated, but pressed her face into Loki's legs despite her apparent enthusiasm.

"Don't be afraid, I am here. Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

Their friends had already arrived by the animals, just waiting for them to follow, but the child did not make a single step into their direction. She stared at the crystal bridge, shining in all colours, before her attention was caught by the moving gears all around the dome, finally landing on Heimdall, and she all but ran around Loki's legs, trying to escape his gaze.

The god grinned. So much like himself.

"Hush, minn dýrr, he will not harm you. He is a friend of your Uncle's."

"Hann er hræddr.", she whispered, peeking up at the foreign person and slipping into the language Loki and Thor spoke with her sometimes, using it to conceal her fear from him while not knowing that here, anyone would understand her thanks to the Allspeak. Crouching down, the sorcerer smiled softly at her while stroking her hair.

"It is okay to fear things or persons you do not know, Ásdís. But you can trust that your father and I will protect you and never will let anything harm you. This is Heimdall, one of Thor's good friends, and he will look out for you as we all do."

He kissed her forehead as she gazed up at him with wide and wet eyes, scooping her up and settling her on his hip. She pressed her face into his shoulder, throwing a careful glance back to the strange figure clad in golden metal.

"Come, princess, they are waiting for us."

The girl gripped his shoulder harder, turning around again and seeing the horses. Loki carried her to the sole steed left, his own, gently stroking her flank while rounding her to let Ásdís see her head.

"This is Ranka. Say hello.", he asked of his daughter and petted the snout that was shoved into his hand, making him chuckle. "You may touch her if you want, she likes being scratched between her eyes."

After some seconds of indecision, the child lifted one hand and placed it overly cautious on the soft, warm flesh between Ranka's nostrils. The horse pushed her head up against the tiny fingers and neighed quietly. Ásdís giggled.

"Kapp mær.", Loki praised her, finally mounting the mare after settling his daughter on the saddle.

"Hold on tight, please."

"High time, Lokes.", Tony snickered, but yelped when Natasha made his horse break into gallop with a swift slap of her hand.

 

 

Fandral and Sif were awaiting them at the stables with an array of servants who swiftly took care of the baggage and vanished with it.

"Thor asks for you, Loki.", the woman said, as neutral and impassive as she could muster while trying to avoid looking at the two-year old girl sitting on his arm, staring at her with piercing eyes.

It made her uneasy, and the sorcerer took great pleasure in that. Ásdís turned her head, eyes still holding up the contact to Sif.

"Hon er líkr ámáttugr.", she mumbled into his neck, what made Sif frown in obvious displeasure, but Loki could not determine the reason behind her chagrin.

"Be polite, darling. It is not nice to say something like that.", he chided softly, but was immensely pleased that she obviously disliked every friend of Thor's.

The little girl left her head buried in his neck for some more seconds before whispering something only Loki would understand because of how quiet she had spoken. Her Papa nodded seriously.

"Ah, I understand. But she, as well, is a good friend of your Uncle's, and she will not hurt you. You must not be afraid of her."

"What, afraid of Sif? She has good instinct, then.", Fandral said with a grin and was punched in return, making Ásdís giggle softly.

"He's funny.", she told Loki. "Is he Toto's friend, too?"

"Child, here, everyone is Thor's friend.", Fandral explained with flourish, wide grin on his lips. Loki assumed the nickname would stay for a very long while with his brother.

"That's many.", the girl said in awe, looking around and taking in the people running around.

"Loki.", Sif said, irritated that he had not even acknowledged his brother's need.

"Sif.", he drawled back, and her cheeks became a soft shade of red. Still so easy to annoy. Brilliant.

"Hand her over, Dasher, and see what Thor wants.", Tony requested, arms already outstretched and fingers flexing.

"Behave yourself, yes? No colour changes, especially with yourself."

"Yes, Papa."

He smiled at her and kissed her nose, earning another giggle.

"We'll see each other later, darling. I love you."

"Love you too, my Mapa."

"Geez, go already! All this feels!", Clint groaned from behind them, burying his head in Natasha's shoulder. Loki snickered and waved.

"Get settled. I'm sure Thor has planned some kind of welcome for after whatever he needs me for."

"There is to be a banquet later in the evening.", Fandral affirmed. "Shall we?"

 

 

"What have you told her that she backs away from me like that?", Sif wanted to know once the others were gone and they had left for Thor's chambers. Her posture screamed 'disappointed' and 'I hate you', and it made Loki feel _so_ good.

"Nothing. She has decided she does not like you all on her own. You're not the first one, though, so don't feel all special. Heimdall was greeted much the same."

"This cannot be right - you must have done something."

Roling his eyes, the sorcerer snorted at her.

"It is astounding that you always assume I am at fault for everything. Different to popular belief, Sif, I am not. She has her own head, and you scared her, that is all there is. Your getup does not exactly make a good impression on a small child like her, who is not even remotely used to people looking like you."

"She would be were you bringing her more often!", she spat at him.

Oh.

Loki chuckled.

"Norns, Sif, you _want_ her to like you! This is splendid.", he huffed out. "Do you feel neglected because no one has seen her since then? Poor Sif, for once not being the one the children run to."

"Shut up.", she forced out, her steps getting quicker.

Fandral snickered.

"To be honest, we all missed her around. Despite the circumstances, your last visit has left us rather... what did Thor call it? Whipped?"

"Really now. Who would have thought.", Loki muttered, but was oddly satisfied. Sif threw them a glance.

"I'll see if Jane needs anything.", she told them and was off a second later. How strange.

The warrior besides Loki sighed.

"She's upset. She does not want it to be known, but that this wedding is really happening bites at her."

"Thor was never interested in her that way, and she knew it well."

"She was always the only woman in his life, besides the Queen, she struggles with the fact that there is another woman who has more influence than her."

"I won't show any form of sympathy for her, you may stop telling her secrets away."

Fandral chuckled, slowing down until they both stopped in the hallway in front of the royal chambers.

"I know. I did not expect you to. I was merely trying to ease the tension between the two of you."

That could take a while. Since Sif had chosen Thor over Loki, despite their deep understanding of how hard it was to actually fit somewhere you clearly did not belong, there had been a lot of stress flowing. The woman had met the kinder end of the Aesir, trying to overcome the female role in favour of living the life of a warrior, while Loki did the exact opposite. Despite not shying away from battle or the various other things that were expected from a male, he never hid how he loathed it.

She had never understood why he wanted to escape this life.

"Loki, I... _we_ have to ask your forgiveness.", Fandral finally spit out.

Loki arched up an eyebrow. That promised to be interesting enough to listen.

"Do go on.", he said, carefully neutral.

Fandral fidgeted for a moment, before sighing deeply.

"We have done you wrong. We have overstepped our boundaries and liberties in going and fetching Thor while the Allfather lay in Odinsleep. Heimdall should have never allowed us to leave."

"Heimdall often does what he thinks right, and not what he is sworn to.", Loki scoffed. "Had he not opened the Bifröst for Thor nothing would have ever happened, and no harm would have come to anyone."

The warrior looked at him with a searching look. He rolled his eyes.

"Do you really think I _wanted_ to travel to Jotunheim that day? I had set all my hopes on Heimdall to hold us back long enough to be found out. Why do you think I stayed behind to tell him to fetch whomever he could?"

The other sighed again, a pained sound that carried much more meaning than words could.

"Hogun suspected you to be the one who let in the Frost Giants that day."

"Clever of him. Turns out he was right after all."

"I did not believe it. You never had done something to put the Realm at risk - a fact neither of us took into consideration afterwards."

Loki shrugged.

"It's not as if anyone else did. I am so very used to work from behind the curtains, I do not expect anyone accrediting what I do. I never have. Though I was sorely disappointed in Heimdall's obvious disloyalty to whomever is not Thor. He was the key element that I built my plans around, and he shattered them into oblivion."

"It has changed, Loki. So much has changed since you saved the Allfather and what followed."

He did not want to know. Remembering how distressed he had been and how painfully aware he was of the pain he put Tony through still hurt him. It brought back the confession Frigga and Odin had made, it put his mind into thinking of the Dark Elves again, who weren't found to this day.

Asgard could not have evolved enough to truly change. Anyway, what should have changed?

"The people have seen you come and go these last months. They have seen you ignoring them, and they have seen that you look out for Asgard - that you keep your promise.", Fandral explained. "At the moment, the public opinion is torn between the discussion of your apparent adoption, and the profit you bring to the Realm."

Smirking, the Trickster took a step forwards.

"Is there a reason to you attempting small talk with me, Fandral? Or do you just like to hear yourself speak? I know what happens in Asgard even if I do not stay here for longer periods of time."

The blonde frowned.

"I am trying to make an effort. Could you not just accept that?"

By the Norns, they were incorrigible.

"What neither of you seems to understand is that I do not, in fact, actively search for your approval or bonhomie. I am not doing this to prove how good or how nice I am, or how much I care. I don't need you or any other citizen to coddle me because you finally saw that I am not the only one at fault. I appreciate the try, though, and I recognize the apology. Could we move on now and accept each other as mutual acquaintances of my brother before I actually start to believe you _like_ me?", he asked, but took the edge out of the statement with a miniscule smile.

Fandral messed up his perfect hair and sighed with a frown.

"Do they really suffice? Are a handful humans better than what you could have here?"

Wow. How humble. Loki pursed his lips.

"What, do you think yourself better just because you live longer and are stronger? I assure you, I will choose either of them over any of you in a heartbeat. They are more mature than any of you, and the modern Midgard is trying to accept its inhabitants whether they are fair-skinned, dark-skinned, lie with woman or men or both, and a myriad of other things Asgard can not even begin to understand. I am free to do whatever I want to do, as long as one accepts certain boundaries - very unlikely that I could have the same here, as history shows. So, yes, they _are_ in fact better."

As he wanted to go, Fandral took his arm and held him back.

"What about your real skin? Do they know?"

Loki did not tear his arm away. He dislodged the hand firmly, but without hurting him and regarded his brother's friend with a cold stare.

"That is none of your business, but I will tell you, just so I can rub it in a bit more. Yes. They all know. They have accepted me in their mid despite knowing it was me who brought an alien army onto their city, and they have not once looked at me like most of Asgard has done for centuries. They know what I truly am, what Odin has hidden, and, although I do not even begin to understand why, I was met with curiosity at best. They don't care. They _look_ at one with a shockingly other perspective, and I found it oddly relaxing."

He took a step back.

"Excuse me now, but I have lingered enough. I assume we will see each other later."

Fandral did not say any other word, and Loki entered Thor's chambers without being stopped another time.

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

"Stay close, okay?"

"Yes, Daddy."

And off she was, curiosity getting the better of the small child upon seeing the strange, great hall with its golden pillars and rich floors. Accurately inspecting anything that she came across, Tony's eyes followed her every move, not trusting anything as long as Loki had not explicitly stated that the surroundings were safe.

He sighed and sat down on a bench - the servants had asked them to meet up in the throne room to be properly welcomed, and it seemed that he was the first. Ásdís had not sat still for a single second after seeing the palace for the first time, her interest sparked when someone had let the word "King" and "Queen" fall and she had to absolutely make sure that this was a real palace and there were a real king and queen to meet.

He was incredibly curious to see the moment she would get to know she was a princess.

Loki had purposefully left that out while telling her about the Realms and her Uncle, wishing for her to be raised as normal as possible and without believing to be royalty until she could understand what that would entail. Tony had shrugged and accepted it - he knew she would be spoiled rotten whatever they did, another factor to make her feel all special would neither hurt being known or not. But with this whole fuss about Thor and the wedding, she would make the connection herself soon enough – she was clever like that.

"Daddy, is there a Prince, too?", the voice of his daughter echoed from somewhere behind the throne. He chuckled.

"Yes, Pumpkin. Why?"

"Can I be 'Ella?"

A full-blown laugh escaped him, making her stick her head out from behind the massive golden chair and pout at him.

"Dizzy, he is a grown man and way too old for you. And you are not allowed out as late as Cinderella anyway, your Mum would throw a fit."

But she was gone before he had finished his sentence. The two guards positioned at the doors tried and failed to hide grins as she crawled around and obviously studied every single line worked into the throne.

Shaking his head with a grin he took out one of his smaller tablets and turned it on, plugging in headphones and stuffing one ear, the other sharply tuned for any sound his daughter could make.

"Jarv, fire away.", he muttered, his grin taking on a sentimental edge and turning softer than he could have ever imagined as he watched an assortment of video-snippets he had assembled, showing parts of Loki's pregnancy, Ásdís first photos, her first smile, memorable moments he loved to rewatch and refresh in his mind, things he would enjoy as much - or more - the second time around.

Since the girl had asked about a brother, he had gotten awfully sentimental, thinking how soon he could fill the whole tower with little clones of Loki and himself, boys and girls alike, and what it would take to get his spouse into the game as well. 

Hell, he was way too impatient for this. He was so incredibly eager to become a father again that it almost shocked him into a stupor.

But then again, with a family like the Avengers, Loki, Pep, and this tiny, small human being he called his daughter, who could blame him? A perfect piece of success, and he had not messed up until now. Tony was proud of himself.

The video showed him her first steps, back at home, wobbly but without anyone helping her, just Jane behind her ready to catch her should she fall, and the brilliant smile Loki gave Ásdís when she slapped her hands on his legs in triumph.

"One could think you wanted another one with that goofish look.", Bruce said from somewhere behind him. Tony's heart stuttered for a second over the completely unexpected conversation starter, freaked out.

"Gods in Heaven, Banner, don't sneak up on me like that! Jesus.", he snarked and ripped the phones off.

"Couldn't resist, you were so absorbed in your reminiscing that I just had to."

"Banana you too."

Sitting down besides him, the scientists shared a few moments of silence with each other, interrupted just by the shuffling sounds Ásdís made while still exploring the throne in pinpoint accuracy.

"Seriously, though, you have been watching and re-watching these videos for weeks now. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

God bless Banner. Damn freaky observation skills.

"Nah. She just happens to grow so unbelievingly fast. Hey, she barely stumbles over the 'r' any more, and she has just turned two."

Bruce looked at her with a soft smile of his own.

"And you enjoyed her being a toddler so much you would want a second one?"

Tony gnawed at his lips and turned off the tablet.

"Perhaps."

"It is very inconvenient timing, don't you think?", his buddy sighed.

"That doesn't keep me from thinking about it."

"Tony..."

The engineer huffed and rubbed his forehead.

"I know. It's too dangerous. But, Bruce, when is it not? I thought we would be good after Thanos. Now we have a crazy Elf out there who wants to destroy the universe and a manic magician who likes science on Earth. And still I cannot stop going mad about this strange feeling in my gut that demands 'another!' in Thor's voice."

Ásdís scrambled to her feet and braced her tiny hands against one wing of the throne, craning her head up to look at the pattern there.

One of the guards could not hold back a chuckle. Tony looked at him with a raised brow.

"Forgive me, my Lord, but I am serving the king for quite some time now, and remember how Prince Loki was her age. The child has clearly inherited his curiosity, as she does the exact same thing he has done as soon as he could stand on his own."

Both Bruce and Tony laughed heartily at that.

"I absolutely have to ask Thor about this.", the engineer chuckled and watched his daughter climb onto the seat, not having heard the quiet talk between the adults.

"Daddy, will we meet the Prince?", she then asked, bent over one armrest, leaning on the wing. It made them snicker again.

"Yes, we will.", he said loud enough for her to hear, and muttered "...and have done so far too often already." under his breath, and Bruce gave a polite little cough to hide his amusement.

"Is he like the knight Papa told us about? Like Uncle Toto?"

More snickers. Please send someone to rescue them.

"Just like him, Pumpkin. Just like him."

"There you are!", Steve exclaimed while entering with the rest. "I thought we had agreed to meet up in front of the hall."

"And keep this ball of bottled-up energy waiting for you? Screw you."

"Aw, look at that, just like a little monkey.", Clint said and watched his favourite niece climb all over the wing in the attempt to reach the highest point. Tony sighed and rose from his seat.

"Damn this fast growing of hers, I swear any human children would not do that until they are four at least. Ásdís," he shouted, "Please come down this second, the throne is not your climbing tree!"

"But Daddy!"

"Now, Miss!"

She stilled and pouted at him, but Tony knew this look and just crossed his arms while advancing to Hliðskjálf with calm steps. He answered her trembling lower lip with a pointedly raised eyebrow.

When the girl realized that her Daddy would not concede, she pursed her lips and slid backwards until her little feet touched the armrest.

"Good girl. Now, promise me you won't do it again, okay? It is one thing to be curious, and another to be impolite. And climbing a real throne is really impolite."

She hopped down and looked as sheepish as she could.

"Will the king be mad?"

Offering his hand, Tony shook his head, and his daughter took it so they could go back to their friends together.

"I don't think so, you didn't know. But now you do, and it won't happen again, right?"

"No, Daddy.", she said and tugged at his hand, urging him to go faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Han en hraeddr" - my (very butchered...) version of "He's scary"  
> "Kapp maer" - Brave Maiden  
> "Hon er likr ámáttugr" - equally butchered "She's (tremendously or overwhelmingly powerful; fearsome; loathsome) scaring me, too"; Sif doesn''t like being loathsome XD
> 
> More like a filler, I know, but hey, it's my birthday tomorrow (18th) and I love Dizzy in the throne room :D  
> Make my day and leave a comment, please! It would mean very very much to me! Kisses and hugs for everyone!  
> Thank you all for reading and leaving a message, I love every single one of them :D


	10. The Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dizzy finally meets the Prince - and an Asgardian wedding.

 

 

Jane, Thor and Loki were already in the dining hall when they arrived, chatting lightly with each other while waiting for the rest of the group to appear. Sif and the Warriors entered from the other side just as they made their way over.

"Papa!"

Before Loki could turn around completely, there was a child at his legs, tugging at his trousers enthusiastically, forcing a grin on his lips that he would not have been able to suppress in any way.

"Munchkin!", he exclaimed and stroked her hair.

"Papa, there is a weal Pwince here! And a King and a Queen and I have seen the thwone! It is huge!", she told him with glistening eyes.

Thor sighed, albeit he smiled as well.

"We need to tell her, Brother."

"Later.", the Trickster answered and regarded his child with an interested look. "Tell me more. What have you seen?"

As she told them, Loki listened intently, and missed the understanding flashing in his brother's face as he bit his finger to repress any snorting laughter he had to hold back. Tony saw.

"I _knew_ you would be able to enlighten me! Share, Big Guy! I want to know every little detail.", he demanded with a smirk and a merry look in his eyes, wrapping his arm around big shoulders. "Be a good brother-in-law and spill all your younger brother's embarrassing secrets."

Thor roared with laughter as soon as Loki turned around with a glare that could have frozen fire.

"What in Yggdrasil's name is this about now?", he wanted to know.

The big blonde grinned so wide it would have split his skull if not for his ears.

"There once was a nosy little boy who spent hours lingering at his Father's feet and meticulously studying the big chair he was seated upon."

Oh Gods, Tony melted in adoration as Loki's cheeks turned bright red. He was downright cute!

"The king had to endure a thousand questions regarding it, the decoration, the form, and whatever the boy wanted to know. It seems my Niece has the same urge for knowledge as that scrawny lad."

"Not another word, Thor.", Loki hissed, and, look at that! His ears were pink as well. Tony smirked in glee.

"Why? It is _so_ cute to hear baby-stories about you, Sweet Pea, and I have not had nearly enough time to squeeze them all out of your brother."

"I'll show you cute, Stark."

"Oh, please do.", the engineer said with innuendo and wriggled his brows. Jane slapped him on the arm.

"Not in front of the child.", she chided, but her eyes betrayed her amusement.

Ásdís stared up at her Papa with wide eyes.

"You have seen the thwone too? And you have met the king?"

Loki scrunched up his face a tiny bit and nodded.

"Apparently. I cannot remember, I was too young."

"My dear, he has done much more than that.", a far older voice interrupted them, and all eyes turned to the door where Odin and Frigga had just entered with matching smiles. "Your father could drive one insane with all that asking."

Brown-green eyes widened in recognition and the girl hushed to hide behind Loki's legs in a matter of milliseconds, carefully peeking out from behind them while clutching the fabric as tightly as she could.

Stepping nearer, the Allfather shook his head with a soft expression and stopped at a distance.

"Be welcomed into our home, all of you. I hope the accommodations were to your liking?"

"Of course. Have our thanks, your Highness.", Pepper piped in with a smile, which was answered by Frigga with an equally friendly face.

"For our sons and their friends the best we can offer."

"Daddy.", Ásdís whispered and tugged at Loki's pant leg, searching Tony's face. "Is this the Queen and the King?"

While the royal couple greeted the former mortals as well as the Warriors Three and Sif, the child scurried over to him, still hiding behind a pair of legs, shaking her head forcefully as he wanted to pick her up.

"They are. Don't be shy, Pumpkin, I'm here. Nothing's going to happen."

"The Prince comes too?"

Rolling his eyes, Tony crouched down and looked her in the eyes.

"What's with this obsession about the Prince, huh? You're a bit too young to have a love interest, Sweetheart."

She pursed her lips in an adorable pout.

"I want to be like 'Ella. Or Sleeping Beauty.", she confessed with the worst case of puppy eyes from under her eyelashes that Tony had ever had the misfortune to see. "They get a Prince."

"Oh darling, we should stop letting you watch Disney-Movies with Clint and Bruce.", he said with a chuckle and nudged her nose softly with his index finger. "Real Princes are a lot stranger than you can imagine."

"Why?", she wanted to know quietly, looking around and hurrying behind her father when she became aware that both Frigga and Odin were approaching. Tony almost fell over in the attempt to turn around so he could answer her, settling for rising up again and gently stroking her braided curls with his hand.

"The Princes I have met are so strange that I can't even describe them.", he told her, face perfectly serious. "And now let's make your Papa proud and face a real king and a real queen together, okay?"

Glancing back behind him, he saw how hard she tried to persuade herself. She observed how Frigga embraced first Jane and then her Uncle, the same repeated with Odin, and how Thor addressed them, and then tugged again at the clothing in front of her fingers.

"Daddy. Daddy, are they Toto's Papa and Mama?", she asked unbelieving. "Is Uncle Toto a Prince?"

Tony finally had no patience any more for tugging and questions and swept her into his arms without further ado.

"Yes, Pumpkin, he is. And that is why you cannot go off and marry him, you see? You cannot just marry your own Uncle, and we would make Jane very sad."

She totally missed her grandparents approaching while she was busy staring at Thor with open mouth and wide eyes, trying to understand what exactly that meant for her.

Then her head snapped around to her Daddy, and she said with a utterly serious voice "Auntie Nane is going to be a princess."

Tony grinned and nodded.

"You are such a clever girl. She'll be a princess after tomorrow, yes. Will you be as polite as you can be now and greet Uncle Thor's parents for me?"

Jerking back, she registered both king and queen looking at her, and her Papa.

Ásdís nodded timid and was rewarded with a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"Very good."

The Queen (who had hair like Rapunzel, long and blond!), smiled at her Papa as he smiled at her very often, and held out her hands for him to grasp. He hesitated for a few seconds, but finally sighed and let his head hang down a bit.

"Mother.", he said quietly, and the girl straightened. Her Papa called the Queen like Toto did? Oh yes, they were brothers. Their Mama would be the same, and their Papa, too.

Tony watched her make the connection with a bright grin. She squealed.

"My Papa is a Prince!"

 

 

~~~~~~

 

 

"Mother."

Taking her hands or not had thrown his head into a battle with itself, heart against brain, and as so often lately, his heart had beaten the brain hands down.

A last chance for him. For them. The distrust still lingered, but it was diminished, had shrunk over time. He had needed the time, but now he craved the contact more than the distance.

"It is so good to see you again, my son.", Frigga said and squeezed his hands gently, and he returned the gesture.

"As it is to see you. I would apologize for taking so long, but the time was needed and well-used."

She laughed softly and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Loki, we have caused your absence ourselves, and though we missed you dearly, we hoped you would come back to us some day."

Grinning wearily, the sorcerer looked over to his daughter as she exclaimed "My Papa is a Prince!" with childish astonishment and surprise, looking at him as if he were a wonder of the world.

"Ásdís, I'd like you to meet Queen Frigga of Asgard, your grandmother. Say Hello."

Still trying to hide in Tony's arms, she threw her a shy look.

"Hi.", the girl said, and sat up directly afterwards. "You call me Fwigga, too, sometimes. ...when I did something you don't like."

Tony chuckled and pulled her closer to his chest, adoring the sheepish gaze she threw them.

"You're named after her, Pumpkin."

It did suffice to make Ásdís interested enough to forget her shyness and fall back into the questioning of anything and everybody.

Frigga made her way over to both his husband and daughter once the child was her usual cheery self and was attacked with a myriad of words that had her smiling like it was the best thing ever happening to her.

"You have made her very happy."

Loki sighed and tore his gaze away from his family to find the sole blue eye of the Allfather looking at them.

"Ásdís tends to do that to people, I've noticed. In a very nosy and straining way, I suppose, but nonetheless."

Odin smirked.

"She is your daughter beyond doubt. And, what I have heard about your Anthony, blends your traits quite interestingly."

Loki snorted amused.

"I am glad you chose to come and bring her with you.", the old king said to him.

"I couldn't let her stay on her own. Besides, Thor would have been inconsolable, to be wed without his favourite niece."

"Yes, I have noticed how he dotes on her. I look forward to the day he will have the same good luck as you have had."

Groaning, Loki rubbed his forehead and braced one hand on a hip.

"You don't have to sugarcoat me any more, Father, I am well beyond the point to be mollycoddled into returning."

While Odin patted his arm, Loki felt Thor do the same to his shoulder with much more force and rolled his eyes.

"Refrain from breaking my spine, if you please.", he drawled and earned a rough laugh from his brother.

"It is good to see you reunited with our parents, Loki, is all. The turning of Fate's Wheel has finally returned to it's original pace."

"Oh by the Norns and all the Realms, Thor, stop trying. You have no way with words whatsoever.", the Trickster exclaimed. Jane laughed.

 

 

“You pregnant yet?”

Loki snorted and turned on his spot in the bed, looking into the smug face of his husband, who lay on his side and had begun to trace invisible patterns on the pale back in front of him.

“A worse line you weren't able to concoct? Dear Norns, and I believed you to be witty.”

“I take that as a 'no', then. Good, all the more time to practise and get ready.”

As the sorcerer rolled his eyes, Tony pulled him into his arms and started to kiss his way from neck to lips and then further down, taking time to map out the body beneath him.

“You know,”, he said between two kisses, “it is a tiny bit disturbing to worship your gorgeous male frame like this just to end up with the lady parts that are, though admittedly equally loved, rather surprising when I expect your cock.”

“And this is my fault how exactly?”, he chuckled and leaned into the caress. “I've told you that this was my plan.”

Tony snickered.

“I have to get used to it, then, right? Be prepared to get bent over any surface I can find until I think I am able to remember you're genderbending.”

Loki groaned with a extensive sigh, and the engineer didn't really care if it was based on his words or on the pressure he applied to the aforementioned lady parts, as long as his husband/wife (wifband? He should seriously think of coming up with a fitting term... spouse was _so_ lame).

“Warn me profusely in advance so we can cause a proper scandal, at least. It has been too long since I have drawn attention to my person for something I actually _planned_ happening that way.”

Oh gods, Tony _loved_ that man.

 

 

“Don't bother, he's not able to communicate right now.”, Tony murmured as Clint opened his mouth to inquire about something he did not fully understand in the asdgardian wedding ceremony they attended at the moment. “Loki's at probably two dozen locations at the same time currently, and despite being able to duplicate into a lot more of himself while concentrating on a single location, that really needs focus.”

“Hasn't he ordered guards and Thor's buddies to help out?”, the archer whispered back.

“Yes, but he's the only one who can get a message back and forth fast enough to actually prevent any crazy attacks from happening. He's watching. Sif and Co. are backup for the palace. I think even the two birds are scouting the city.”

Jane and Thor were standing facing each other in the throne room, engrossed in their own little world as words washed over them, rituals and rites performed. It did not look as if they were realizing anything besides themselves, moving in auto-pilot whenever they had to actually do something instead of just throwing each other sickeningly cute looks oozing love and bliss.

Tony had no idea what the guy who officiated the ceremony was called, so he'd stick with druid and would probably be scolded by Loki later for it, but as the god was currently fully concentrated on preventing anything catastrophic happening by watching the Vault, as well as the most likely passageways between the worlds, Tony was relatively safe for the time being.

They were all clad in some of the finest garbs Thor had been able to get hold off, rich embroidered tunics and dresses, while the Thunderer and Loki had dressed up to the Nines in their overly fancy armours, complete with the helmets (...had Loki not lost his somewhere? Tony had not seen the thing for ages!), proudly radiating every inch of royalty and power they were and had in truth.

If Loki hadn't been occupied with protecting them at the moment, Tony would have made sure they would have some time alone right now, fuck the consequences and the ceremony. Apparently he had something for men with power and more metal than necessary on their bodies, who would have known.

Ah well, a shame they had no time.

Tony regarded it as some kind of recompense that Jane and Thor had insisted on exchanging wedding rings, something not customary on Asgard, and that Ásdís would be the one to deliver the bands to their destination.

Natasha and Pepper had claimed that they would die from diabetes after getting a look at the girl, dressed up in a gown fitting for a little princess, a deep red that matched Thor's cape, with golden accents in a delicately crafted embroidery. To top it off, she had been given the female equivalent of the helmets that were so popular around here, a delicate coronet of the same metal Loki's armour was coated in, nestled in her braided hair as the matching ones were that Jane and Frigga wore. She had been awfully proud of it, all puffed up and parading around, living every baby-girls dream of spontaneously becoming a real princess.

Jane and Thor turned their heads and flashed beaming smiles in their direction, and when the blonde nodded gently, Tony nudged his daughter's back, and she did her best to walk over to the couple as dignified and calm as she could while clearly filled with energy and almost bursting with the need to fly into her Uncle's arms as she always did.

“Gods, Tony, I would have sent anybody to the best mental facilities I would have found if they had so much as _hinted_ at you becoming a Daddy for a child like this. Or a Daddy at all.”, Pepper smirked, getting a grin in return from the resident genius.

“Tell me. Unbelievable. And look at that, she has somehow managed to copy Loki's stance. Hilarious.”

“Pray that she will have a little less love for chaos and mischief.”, Volstagg piped in with a sour look, probably remembering a whole lot of shenanigans Loki had been at fault for in his younger – and probably even his more mature – years.

“As long as he's not working with her I think that we will get around that – the second they team up I'll call and move them back here.”, Tony answered, getting a delicious wince from Thor's friends and all sorts of snorts from his own.

In front of the throne, Ásdís did a wonderful job appearing all serious and civilized, and Thor destroyed her perfect proper manners by sweeping her up and kissing her with a wet smack, making her giggle helplessly and displaying the same oafish grin she had always shown when her Uncle was in the vicinity, making her look as ridiculously happy as he was. Jane obviously melted.

It was not as much as a collective sound that resonated through the hall, but Tony would sell his soul if he did not _sense_ the 'Aww' that image produced in whomever attended.

The girl's return to her fathers was evidently different from the collected walk she had done prior, all rushing back with flying skirts and no trace of decency left, almost ploughing into Tony's legs with her speed. He scooped her up and kissed her cheek affectionately.

“Well done, Pumpkin. Like a real princess.”

She beamed a lot brighter after that, not that he had thought that possible.

The unifying of two lives obviously needed parental backup, and the instance the Allfather joined Thor and Jane, Loki's head snapped up.

“Fjara.”, he said. A second later the Warriors Three and Sif were standing around the sorcerer, all touching him somewhere.

“Five minutes at the most, Anthony.”, the Trickster said and was gone in soft golden sparks, taking the Four with him.

Steve sighed.

“Watch your designated areas, please. Double the attention.”

“Already done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand because I like you all and you were so wonderful to me, and because it's my birthday, I gift you another chapter ;)  
> Nothing dramatic, just a bit more plot. I love you all so much!


	11. Repellant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The attack of the Elves. And some very interesting developments.

 

 

The ceremony ended three minutes later, a strange, golden glow rose somewhere between the City and the palace, and before the five minutes were up, Loki reappeared, Huginn and Muninn crying above his head as they arrived at the same time. Although he did not seem to be out of breath, Tony recognized the deeper intakes of air as just that, evidence of a fight, and the drawn brows spilled all kinds of information.

And, oh, the fact that Loki did not even bother to appear where he had left but rather directly besides Thor and Jane, surrounded by congratulators who scurried away as they noticed something becoming solid in their midst.

He gripped the older gods arm and whispered hushed words, making Thor frown in an instant. He straightened, looked around to find Odin's eye, and curtly nodded once. Then, after taking Jane's hand and kissing its back, they vanished.

“Oh hell, that seems serious.”, Tony snarled, very displeased that his husband had been proven right in his assumption that any attack would be led under the festive distraction that the Crown Princes' wedding would surely prove to be.

“Ah well, that means we're off to the Queen's Gardens, Pumpkin. Come on, we'll fetch Jane and your Gran and have a nice evening together, what do you say?”

Nothing would have made her more happier, it seemed. She smiled so wide it would put the Cheshire-Cat to shame.

“Papa and Toto come later?”, she asked, and Tony nodded.

“I would think so. Bruce, Loki's asked if you could accompany us. Apparently Iron Man isn't enough to protect three girls.”

The scientist smiled gently.

“You cannot even protect yourself if it's needed. Let's go.”

How long the sorcerer had worked out this kind-of emergency-plan Tony did not know, but getting Asgard to participate would have been a real bitch. Kudos to his husband, all seemed to work flawlessly. Odin was ushering his wife and newly acquired daughter-in-law in their direction, taking off with a flock of warriors as soon as the five were in touching range.

“What happened?”, Jane asked. “Loki told me to come to you in case of spontaneous vanishing acts, but he did not clarify the why.”

“Something obviously appeared on the beach, shore, somewhere there.” - yeah, after some seven years Tony had finally gotten the hang on some of the basic phrases and words the Aesir used in their language. Loki had been very, very proud – and rewarding.

Um. Yeah. More pressing matters.

“Originally he did not want to involve Thor, but that seemingly did not play out like he wanted. Any chance to get word from anything, my lovely Queen?”

She chuckled despite the dire circumstances.

“Once we're in the gardens, we should be able to oversee the beach, it lies higher than the shore.”

“Great. What are we waiting for?”

 

 

Loki had _known_ that they would come when they thought Asgard to be inattentive. It was so utterly predictable that he was almost disappointed.

Even that the few creatures emerging from one pathway were meant as a distraction, while another bunch tried to force their way into the palace and the Vault had not surprised him.

Heimdall had managed to sense them shortly before they appeared, his eyes obviously more sensitive on Asgard, and had given away their location even before Loki had been alerted. They had made quick work of the poor souls Algrim had sent as distraction, and then had relocated first the Dorky Four in front of it before teleporting into the Vault with Thor. All spells still held.

“Congratulations, by the way. It seems I have missed the final words.”, Loki huffed out while rushing up the steps to greet any unwelcomed intruders. Thor was hot on his heels, his heavy steps directly behind Loki's smaller frame.

“Thank you, it seems we're even once again.”

“Marital status is a form of competition between us, now, as well? I'm shocked, Brother.”

The blonde laughed as Loki ripped open the heavy doors, sound of fighting greeting the both of them.

“Well, apparently your wedding party has already started.”

“Stay behind!”, Thor roared, and the sorcerer did not even think of resisting that order – they had worked well on their communication, and when Thor wanted one to stand back, one did without doubting. The following lightning made the decision a very wise one.

As an added bonus, Loki had now a few seconds to spell the entrance so that whoever would cross the threshold would immediately learn how hot fire could burn.

“Now _that_ is a party to my liking!”, Thor boomed and brought down Mjölnir on the head of one Elf, effectively knocking him out just as Sif and Fandral cornered another together.

There were a lot more enemies than Loki would have anticipated, though – when he finally connected the information, it did not matter any more. Strange sightings and missing persons made the perfect reason for the raised number of Kursed that he now looked at.

Damn.

Volstagg and Hogun had taken position at his sides, shielding the entrance to the best of their abilities against a force twenty times as powerful and strong, while Loki himself cast a spell to their weapons, enhancing them and bringing forth the Iron in them.

In the end, though, they had no chance.

There were too many foes, fighting with enhanced beings that were impossible to get by with usual means, and even Mjölnir did not make a serious impression.

Frantically thinking how he could turn the Fates to their favour once more, Loki almost missed Algrim when he stepped forward and moved between the still fighting Aesir, headed straight for the Vault in the obvious quest to retrieve the Tesseract.

The Trickster swiftly summoned the vessel he had forged for the Aether, his blood and magic still radiating energy, already readying himself for another meeting with the raw force the Infinity Stone had proven to be.

It could not have gone any more different than he imagined.

Before Algrim could come closer than five meters, it looked as he was jerked back by something, staggering slightly and looking just as surprised as everyone else.

Loki's skin prickled. He could _feel_ the Aether, sensed its power an energy, its obvious interest in the magic and life force Loki produced, the try to get a hold on this other body and nourish itself, devour the very much liked energy once more.

It reached out to him, and he was prepared to redirect into the container he held plainly visible in his hands. It did not seem to disturb the Aether, the little trick with his blood seemed to work – before he sensed a dire pang of distress from it, simultaneously to another forced step back from Algrim.

Loki did not understand.

“What have you done, Giant's breed?”, Algrim hissed furious.

The sorcerer did not flinch, and he had to give credit to Thor's friends for keeping their composure as well – he had made very sure that especially these four did not, under any circumstances, receive word of his true skin.

“Why can't I come near? What trick is this?”

As previously stated – Loki did not have the foggiest.

He still felt the torn force, desperately trying to reach out and feast on him, while recoiling as forcefully as it had from any vessel he had shown it – but the Aether did not seem to _fear_ or even acknowledge the jar, it seemed genuinely repulsed by Loki himself.

How utterly strange.

“Well, as long as I am here, your way is blocked. It seems this is a dead end for you, Algrim.”, he said as blasé as he could manage while still trying to figure out what ever had happened.

The Elf looked ready to murder him – would have probably done it regardless, had there been a chance to actually come near. How funny.

“Yield. This is your sole chance to escape with your life.”, Thor said from behind him, a small army of Einherjers and guards at his back, weapons drawn and trained at him.

The Elf threw a quick glance in his direction, eyes slits in his anger.

“This is not the end, íss hveðrungr.”, he spit.

This time, Loki did flinch, a miniscule motion that only Thor seemed to notice if the narrowed eyes were any sign.

Algrim had been gone the second after – vanishing from right under their noses. Probably a basic spell to return to a fixed point set prior. Good for escapes, the Trickster himself had used it often enough to know its uses.

Lifting the fire spell, Loki turned and entered the Vault again, ripping apart any spell he could find – save the one that Mjölnir herself held – and casting it anew, fresh magic swirling in the room, and if he would need to force Odin to do the exact same thing later this day, he would make sure there were two layers of safety measure to this chamber.

_ Why _ had the Aether not come any closer? Why had he controlled Algrim's steps?

What could possibly upset it and what had Loki that would make it seem almost afraid of him?

“Brother.”

He did not understand. Why now, why not before?

“Loki.”

“You will have to learn the spell used to seal the Stone, in case I will not be able to get near enough.”

“What in the name of the Norns has happened?”, Thor asked, clearly exasperated and nonplussed. Shrugging, the younger one looked around, carding through his hair with an erratic motion.

“Beats me. I don't think the Aether itself knew what exactly it wanted - I felt its struggle between wanting my power and backing away in...”

Yes, what exactly had been the reason? Fear? As if.

He sighed, the sound closer to a wince than an actual sigh, and made to leave.

“I have absolutely no clue. Whatever it was, it at least secures me and whomever happens to stand near me, and I intend to use this to our advantage.”

Collecting his thoughts, Loki closed his eyes for a moment and let his mind race through whatever had just unfolded. Making sure the elves were gone for the moment, he could relax a bit and ascend the stairs, the need to make sure his family was well almost overwhelming.

Thor followed him in silence, probably contemplating for himself what the attack had revealed.

Closing the massive doors behind them, Loki found four sets of eyes set on his person.

Oh, right. The Aether had spilled his little secret. Thank you very much.

At least neither of Thor's friends had their weapon drawn.

“So it's true? You're a Jotun?”, Volstagg asked, almost as if he had never in his life thought it would be, despite everything. Loki rolled his eyes and began his way to the Gardens.

“I'll neither deny nor confirm whatever nonsense the Stone has told Algrim.”

“The Elf called you Ice-Monster – I've never seen you lose your stance like that, even if it was a twitch at best.”, Fandral added. “It would... explain certain things.”

“It really is none of your business.”, Loki grit out, but knew it was futile. They had heard something and were set on discovering what ever they could. To what end he could only imagine.

“Why in all the Realms would you try to destroy your homeland?”, Volstagg piped in again, voice high and incredulous, and just like that, the sorcerer growled and stopped his almost-run to the Gardens.

Turning on his heel, he threw an ireful glare to the Dorky Four.

“My _homeland_? This chunk of ice filled with creatures even more imbecilic and brutish than the common Aesir? Why, your opinion of me must be even lower than I had anticipated. _Never_ compare Jotunheim with my home again, or you will be very sorry.”, he spat, fury in his eyes.

“Is that why you denied Thor to return? The... resentment against Frost Giants?”, Sif wanted to know, and Loki gave up pretending. They would never let it be as long as they did not know exactly what he was, not after a revelation like that. He crossed his arms in front of the golden chestplate and stared at her, dislike just barely hidden in his face.

“Thor had not learned what Father wanted him to learn when you came to me. But he needed the lesson almost as badly as you, and therefore it was a great pleasure to watch him struggle and fight for a place in Midgard. What _you_ failed to see was that this action of mine was looking at a far greater plot than just rejoice at his misery. This banishment was the foundation he needed to grow to a man worthy to ascend the throne someday. Whatever I had learned about myself that day, it _never_ interfered with this idea.”

“Why did you not tell us, then?”, she yelled at him, and Loki closed his eyes and rubbed his temples to drive away the impending headache.

“You would not have believed me, you never have before. And really, it was just too good to just _order_ you to do my bidding instead of coaxing you into it. Don't tell me you would not have taken it had you had the chance to show _me_ you were my better all of a sudden.”

“So you chose to let in Frost Giants instead of some other creatures because you, what, had a connection to them?”, Fandral asked, and it almost made Loki laugh.

“Why aim for something less than the most feared monster of Asgard? They were shockingly easy to convince, too eager to get the Casket back, they never saw the trap I laid down for them. No, when I searched them out the first time, I knew not of our... _relation._ ”

Peeling back the vambrace (and the layer of clothing underneath) of his left arm, he willed away the glamour and let the cobalt blue colour seep over his creamy skin, the darker, royal blue lines appearing and black fingernails finishing the turning.

“This is what happened when we visited their Realm afterwards. One of them gripped my arm, much as they did with Volstagg, but instead of burning my flesh it turned blue, and revealed to me why I had never belonged to either of you. Tell me, what would you have done after finding out you are the Monster hiding to eat children? That you were a Prince to a Realm full of people who would kill you without a second thought?”

“Stop, Brother.”, Thor said softly. Neither of his friends had moved an inch after his revelation, and Loki was oddly content with them just staring at him, at the blue hand that hung besides his body, the foreign colour, the _hated_ race.

“I do not know what made Odin take me here, or why he chose to raise me at his own son's side, and I will never, _never_ recognize that I am the get of Laufey himself, but I will use whatever asset this skin will provide me with if the need arises.”

Letting the glamour take its place again and snapping his armour back on, Loki looked utterly unfazed and unimpressed.

“I trust you to hold your tongues about that matter. If you so much as breathe a word of it to anyone, I will make sure it will be your last.”

Before one of them had found the courage to respond, he already had left the hallway.

 

 

“...and Boozie picked me up and carried me home and I was bigger than even Uncle Toto and Teeve!”

“Your poor Mum almost had a heart attack because of that.”

Loki entered to amused laughter and his daughter happily snuggling down on Bruce.

“I see you are just fine.”, he stated and leaned against the doorframe with a grin.

“Peachy! Where were you? We thought we could possibly watch you work out your little spat down there, but when we arrived they already were tidying up.”, Tony answered and looked obviously relieved that his husband had made it without even a single scratch.

“It was a ruse, aimed to distract us so Algrim could enter the Vault without interference. Heimdall told me shortly before they arrived, and after making sure that the shore was secured, I fetched Thor and met the Elf in the Palace. They have escaped, but nothing was gained on their side.”

“That means we finally can begin the feast!”, another voice interrupted, and the cheery face of Thor appeared behind the sorcerer.

“Yay! Seriously, I'm starving.”, the engineer sighed in relieve, already standing up and passing Loki, not without sneaking a kiss up on those soft lips.

“Good to see you're not hurt, by the way. So, food and drinks?”

 

 

An hour after Algrim had left again, Loki stood in the Vault for the third time that day (the first time being his watching clone, the second the attack), flanking Odin with his brother and being heavily reminded of that day so many years ago after they had inquired about the Casket, following the interrupted ceremony.

“Your plan worked well, Loki.”

“It would not have if no one had listened.”

“Can we please get on so that I may return to my own feast?”, Thor pouted.

Loki snickered. “Be patient for a chance, if you please, this is delicate work.”

“Have you renewed the bond between Mjölnir and the Tesseract?”

Walking further into the chamber, Odin placed his own magic atop of his son's, blending their energy and creating a protection so powerful it would take ages to breach under certain circumstances.

“No, but I will now. Brother, your turn.”

Thor sighed and rolled his eyes.

“You only want me for my hammer.”

“Of course.”

Breaking the bond with a wide grin, Loki reached out to fuse Mjölnir with the Cube once more – until the Tesseract awakened with a bright flash and shied away from his magic.

Just like the Aether.

Now that was interesting, to say the least.

“What... what does this mean?”, the blonde God choked out and took turns watching his brother and the Cube while their father had taken a step back, not saying a single word.

“I cannot fathom, but I am becoming increasingly curious.”

Loki's eyes had a dangerous glint in them as he retreated and watched his Infinity Stone turn back to the soft, blue glow it had given off before, switching back into the passive state.

“Let's test this.”, he whispered and called the little wooden chest to his hands that contained the Soul Stone.

Before he could grasp it, the box flew from his fingers as if they were two sides of a magnet, smashing into pieces when it met the stone walls. The Green Gem rolled over the floor, pulsating in a sickly glow, and the delicate chain wrapped around it vibrated.

“Thor, would you be so kind to wrap it into thick cloth and hide it somewhere in your chambers? I think I might be giving off a bad vibe or something.”

The older one just stared at him with baffled confusion. Even Odin looked like he did not know at all what had happened.

“Three of the six Infinity Stones are repelled by my energy, even if they all like it at the same time. They make sure I cannot come close enough to do any harm to them, and, as seen with Algrim, will order their host to fulfil this safety measure.”

The statement was made so gleefully that Thor actually winced. Loki clapped his hands in obvious delight, as if he had come across the solution to world hunger quite unexpected.

“Well, this changes my game tremendously.”, he said, and the smirk on his brothers lips had the God of Thunder almost feel sorry for their enemies.

Almost.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now even the Dorky Four now. Any ideas how they will handle this? :D
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comments, they show me that I am able to create something that is worth reading. You are the engine to this all!
> 
> PS.: Hopefully we'll survive Ragnarök today, because I seriously want you to read through this - I have some extreme turn of events here and am so eager to find out how it will be received ;D


	12. Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy little filler-chapter. A visit to Disney-Land, and look at that, it's almost Christmas. Again.

 

 

The whole lot of them stayed in Asgard for two more days before returning to Earth and Stark Tower.

Loki and Odin had worked out some kind of two-way-communication system that would make it possible to contact both Asgard and Earth when need would arise, based on the two-way-mirrors straight out of Harry Potter.

Clint had almost asphyxiated himself with laughter.

But hey, the thing worked and Ásdís had held some serious talks with both her Grandmother and her Grandfather over it not two days after their return home.

The fur Thor and Loki had hunted down on Muspellheim had obviously pleased the majority of the Realm, displayed amongst the various wedding gifts that had been presented to the newlyweds over the course of the evening, and when Ásdís fell asleep in her Uncle's arms more or less directly following the dessert, the tiny coronet hanging lopsidedly on her wild, dark locks, both brothers had taken that as their cue to retreat, dragging their spouses with them.

Fandral had wished Thor good luck and dodged the cup that was aimed at his head narrowly, but with laughter.

Both Loki and Tony were giggling like children over the fact that Jane had thrown the cup while Thor had blushed fiercely.

Back home, Loki threw himself in studies and science, trying to figure out what made the Stones react like that to him when he knew for a fact that they all were drawn to him and his energy like moths to the flame of a candle in the dark.

Tony and Bruce worked tons of terrabytes out of screenings and energy readings, comparing sets of data and cross-referencing everything they knew about magic and science they could be provided with, but came out blank after four weeks of continued testing.

“You're still the same snarky bitch you were before, Rudolph. Nothing has changed.”

“That is... fascinating and disturbing at the same time, somehow.”

Sighing, Bruce massaged the bridge of his nose while studying spikes and curves, sets of numbers and scales, and nothing made sense whatsoever or could actually explain why the sorcerer and the Stones acted like water and oil.

“Have you had contact with anything? Magic, Science, omnipotent deities, anything at all?”

He pinched his eyes shut when Loki shrugged and shook his head.

“Do not fret, this is a fact I highly like. If I can find out what exactly makes the Stones react that way, I may be able to craft a lasting protection for any of you, and really, that would make fighting the Elves so much easier.”

“Yeah, but that is the problem – we cannot pinpoint what _what_ is.”

Loki chuckled and summoned the vessel.

“Ah, don't worry, I know a way to do just that. We'll just have to bring parts of my energy to them and look how they react. They're still drawn to my force, they still crave it.”

“Then let's chop off some fingers and toes and let's see, Sweet Cheeks.”

Whacking down a tablet on his husbands head made a seriously satisfying sound, Loki found.

 

 

A month after Jane's and Thor's fairytale-storybook-wedding, Tony packed up husband and child and was off to Disneyland for two days. Of course, the whole lot that had been abandoned and left behind was more than agitated and overly disappointed, so they readied the Quinjet and followed right behind, catching up before the three could even _think_ of getting out of the car and demanding that they accompany them, else the Tower would be redecorated by the time the engineer and the sorcerer would set foot on it again.

Exchanging a short glance and what felt like an entire conversation with this look, they had shrugged, Loki had said “Fine.”, and Tony had added “Cool, so you watch the Banshee and we'll have a nice weekend just for us? Really nice, folks!”

Ásdís had scrunched up her face and peeked up to her fathers with an epic pout.

“You promised you'll ride the 'coaster with me.”

“Forgive us, darling, it was a joke. Of course we'll come with you.”, Loki had answered her, regretting to ever promising and indulging both Tony and his daughter when it became clear that the two were A) forcing him on every damn ride they could find and B) completely fine with whatever spinning and throwing around these rides brought with them, while Loki himself felt quite queasy after the first and would rather flee on the spot than get into another one.

“It's hilarious that you can snap yourself in and out of every dimension and World, but cannot even stomach a rollercoaster.”, Tony stated during lunch, making their friends snicker and grin while the Trickster felt like death on legs after a especially hard ride with loops and screwdrivers. Scowling, he rubbed his belly and threw them all a glare that promised vengeance later on.

“Then I figure it will be all right with you if I take you with me as of now whenever I decide to take a trip with magical means, as you are so clearly not affected.”

His husband blanched significantly at that, and despite looking a little green around the nose, Loki's smirk already made this day brighter again.

Booking them all into one of the Hotels had not been a problem, seeing who they were and what Tony was ready to pay to get Clint and Natasha off his back, and it ended even more nice when Ásdís asked if she could bunk over with Bruce and Steve instead of her parents – it had been way too long for her to spend any cuddly time with either of them, and she probably calculated that if she was super super nice and as good as she could get, she would be allowed to sleep in one of their beds the first and in the other's the second night.

“If I hear a single word of you not behaving like I know you can, you'll spend tomorrow at my hand, are we clear?”, Loki said to her, and she nodded with wide eyes. The prospect of not being able to switch people whenever she wanted to was a terrifying one, and the god knew that by heart. Getting contact to as much people as possible of her family was like breathing to the girl.

“I promise, Papa.”, she told him and hugged his legs before racing off to her babysitters, grabbing a hand each and looking like all her dreams had come true.

“We're outdated, Loki. Done. Look at that, we're replaced by a Supersoldier and a Cuddly Rage Monster.”, Tony exclaimed and watched his little girl wander off with a bounce in her step.

Pepper snorted at him and waved before making her way to the rooms/suite she had been given.

“Just you wait until Jane and Thor make their own offspring. Have I not heard Steve tell you about her asking for a sibling? You'll be forgotten as soon as a baby is here.”

“No!”, Tony cried out, pointing a finger at his brother-in-law and the petite scientist (both beet-red, by the way). “I'll not allow that! I'm Tony Stark, I will not be overlooked by my own daughter just because there is a sniffling and crying toddler somewhere pooping its nappies! I'll mmph--!”

Placing a long fingered hand on his lovers mouth, Loki rolled his eyes and dragged him back to their own room.

“Ignore him, it's just his separation anxiety speaking.”

A muffled sound from under his hand had him arch a fine brow.

“Oh really? Then we can talk about enrolling her in a preschool or kindergarten. What do you think?”

The look he gave Loki spoke more than words could ever have. Clint and Natasha snickered loudly and nodded for Jane and Thor to go to bed as well, before they would wake up the whole hallway.

“I think she may have a thing for Bruce and Steve. Children her age experience their first real crush, and the fact that she is head over heels in for the Hulk speaks volumes.”, Jane grinned, what made Tony whimper and pry off the hand that silenced him.

“She's too young to be in love! And there's no way I could intimidate either Steve or Bruce the way I would any normal human being and deliver a proper shovel talk! Man, this sucks.”, he pouted.

“Ah well, I don't think you have to be afraid of them hurting her. Now come on, you big baby. I'm tired.”

The engineer muttered softly under his breath but followed his husband into the suite as he watched the others do the same.

As soon as the door was closed, Loki was on him, pressing him to the wall and kissing the living daylights out of Tony.

Well, perhaps they could get Dizzy's attention back by getting her the brother she had asked for before Thor could.

 

 

“Happy Anniversary, love.”, Tony heard, a soft purring at the shell of his ear, and, more sleeping than being awake he just mumbled something and tried to swat at the thing that tickled his neck so he could get some more hours of sleep.

His hand was caught.

For all he cared, it did not matter. Fine. Go on tickling him. Tony grumbled and buried his face deeper into the pillow.

A low chuckle at his ear prevented him from sinking back into his dreams, though. The sound was rough and rich, all velvet and silk and chocolate, dark and warm and oh so familiar.

“Goddamnhell, Lokes, one reason, give me one good reason to wake me up before sunrise. One.”, he growled, stubbornly refusing to open his eyes.

A hand reached around his body to grasp his cock, and okay, yes, that was a pretty damn good reason.

“I thought you would think like me.”, the god purred and nuzzled Tony's neck with these soft, thin lips.

“I still cannot believe that either of us is able to go at it _again_. Human biology usually does not work like that.”

“You are not just human any longer. At least not completely.”

“We've had sex like, what, five times yesterday? And yesterday ended not even four hours ago. I'm fifty, when exactly does this crazy teenager-stamina cease to be?”

Loki chuckled and backed away so his husband had a chance to turn around and press a soft kiss to his lips.

“Well, I can promise you that a thousand years have not had a significant impact on my endurance or refractory period at all, you're good for at least that time, I'd imagine. Now, are we done talking and could please make use of this sudden child-free time on our hands?”

“You just want my cock.”

“Amongst other things, yes.”

 

 

By the time Clint knocked on their door to inquire when the “Divas” would deem the common peasants worthy of their attention and finally desert the bed, Tony had managed to first throw Loki over the desk and get rug burns from doing him on the same after, yelling “Bed's empty, Darling, but I think the shower's calling!” out to him, earning a laugh from his husband and a pained, muffled groan from behind the doors.

“We'll join you at breakfast, see to it that Dizzy eats more than Lucky Charms and PopTarts!”, Loki put in and chuckled at the laughter outside their rooms.

“Teeve's letting me sit on his shoulders!”, the girl squawked, probably loud enough to wake the dead, but, well, she had to breach a door. Her Papa laughed.

“Then be nice and behave, or he'll never allow a second time. Now go, we'll be there soon!”

Natasha rapped her knuckles against the wood in acknowledgement, and receding footsteps had Tony snicker.

“D'you think we could fit in a Quickie in the shower?”

“Theoretically? Sure. Alas, I don't think I can handle any more. You've finally succeeded and fucked me out, judging from that soreness.”

“Aw, damn.”

 

 

“You are worse than ever. The only – and I repeat, _only_ positive thing with that is that you keep just one lover and are as discreet as you have never been before.”, Pepper drawled when they sat down at the table at last. Tony obviously regarded that as a compliment because he grinned widely and poured himself a coffee.

“Thanks, darling, I have learned to keep my things to myself, much more fun that way.”

“Ah, but that would entail me being at your beck and call, and you can definitely scratch that idea out.”, Loki answered and kissed Ásdís' cheek. “Good morning, love, I hope you did behave as you promised.”

“Mama, Boozie let me sleep in his bed! And Teeve told me a story about someone called Noah and a giant boat where all animals had a place.”, she told her with a happy glint in her eyes. The sorceress arched an eyebrow and threw the soldier an interested look – Steve lowered his eyes and had a faint blush creep up his cheeks.

“You're telling my daughter biblical stories?”, she asked, clearly amused when he cleared his throat and rubbed his neck.

“Well...”

“Ooh, I remember!”, Natasha cut in with a smirk, “'There's only one God, and I'm sure he doesn't dress like that.'”

Tony and Clint snorted while their blushing maiden buried his head in his hands.

“Oh please, cut him some slack. Laughing is really not nice, boys.”, Loki chided. “You are currently no good role models for Ásdís. Cap, it's fine, really. Between the whole Norse mythology and a Zen master, I think she could only profit from some Christian influence. She'll live long enough to choose for herself what she believes.”

“Mama, what's a Zen master?”

Chuckling, Bruce told her, and she was wrapped up instantly in more questions about why and how.

“So, what are the plans for today?”, Clint asked and sipped his coffee. Tony shrugged.

“As you've successfully busted our Anniversary, I'm very tempted to have you catering to our every need. Originally, I had organized some Tours around here, some wildlife experience Loki could have gotten a laugh out of, a Meet&Greet with Cinderella and Merida, and a really fancy dinner with Zachary Levi and perhaps Mandy Moore, if she's got time, she hasn't answered since yesterday.”

Stunned silence. Even Loki stared at her husband with blatant surprise.

“Mandy Moore.”, she repeated, what made Tony grin wide and nod curtly.

“The one and only.”

“And Zachary Levi.”

“I know exactly that you're wild about them.”

“Norns, I love you.”, the sorceress breathed. Jane snickered at that and sat down her cup.

“You're fawning. I can't believe that you are actually fawning over some actors.”

“I am quite capable of fawning.”, Loki said. “And I am not ashamed to recognize a good actor if I see one.”

“Who are they? I have never heard of these actors before.”, Thor wanted to know, and his sister explained in great detail what he thought of them.

“I'll admit that Levi has not done many movies as of yet, but he has quite the potential.”, she said and went on with her summary, and while Thor listened like the good brother he was, the rest watched with great amusement how Loki changed into some kind of fangirl over the matter.

“Tell me this is still the same person that almost levelled New York?”, Clint asked of them, and while Pepper and Jane snorted, Tony nudged her gently and kissed her temple.

“Don't get so worked up, and save the rest for later, I'm sure they'd love to hear a living Norse God get starstruck.”

“Daddy, what's a living Nowse God?”, Ásdís asked between two bites of toast.

“Just a nickname, Pumpkin, just a nickname. D'you wanna meet Cinderella later?”

 

 

The days had passed ridiculously fast, filled with attractions and action, and before they knew it, they were back in the Tower, packed with trinkets and photographs and a lot of fond memories to share.

With Christmas approaching, they had to buy a tree and decorate, and Steve was delegated to explain the religious background to the child when she started asking why there was a tree in the living room. When he had covered the whole thing about a saviour born to a young woman in a stable, ending with the Three Kings, her eyes were shining.

“Is Grandpa Odin one of the kings?”

Loki and Thor had cracked up with laughter once they had achieved to leave the room as to not give Ásdís any false impressions.

“But-”, Loki had whined and wheezed, tears in his eyes, “as far as I know, he _could_ have been. He's old enough.”

Holding his stomach, Thor shook his head and brushed away his own tears.

“Would that make Heimdall Balthasar?”

A second of silence later, they both had returned to laughing helplessly and lying on the floor in inability to remain upright.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Tsuyu, this one's for you, because, really, I have a lot of fun writing with you! :D
> 
> Dear readers, commenters, kudo-clickers, and bookmarkers - thank you so so so much! I love every one of you!
> 
> Next chapter is scheduled for Sunday. Look out for it :)


	13. Welcome to Asgard!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vambraces, tomatoes, and wanted brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was bribed, so to speak. I am in a very good mood now and so I'll post the new chapter a bit sooner. :D

 

 

“What... let me rephrase to 'who'?” 

Lifting their gazes up to the engineer, the Avengers, Jane and Pepper were already awaiting some strange package or something horribly inappropriate that would scar Ásdís for life, but he just peered inside a simple wooden chest, measurements similar to a shoebox. The lid seemed to be padded with red velvet, the same colour as Thor's cape and the former Iron Man Armour.

Loki's eyebrows shot up.

“Show me.”, he asked, utterly fascinated and interested. The chest looked like something straight out of Asgard, and whatever his parents had done now, he wanted to know right now.

“Nah, I'm good. I think I've seen something like that one or two times. Or more.”, Tony said, and, while sticking out his tongue in concentration, fiddled with something on his arm, carefully hiding it from sight before smirking and raising his hand and showing off the antique gold vambrace that now adorned his toned forearm.

Eyes getting wider, Loki leaned over the table and grabbed the arm, turning in around to survey the thing more closely.

“Show me the other one.”, he whispered, fingers gliding over the metal and holding out the other hand to snatch away the second brace he was given.

“What's with the armour, darling? You know I cannot wear it over the suit.”

“It's not my gift.”

“Uh, okay. Point Break?”

“I am not your Secret Santa this year, Anthony.”, he said, but his smile betrayed any ignorance he tried to display.

“I will ask once – _how_ and _why_ , Thor. Explain.”, Loki demanded from his brother while placing the golden piece of armour back into the chest, one brow cocked up and expectantly staring at the older god.

“You know what they are.”

“Of course I know, I am no imbecile.”, the sorcerer snarled. The vambraces were crafted too similar to his own to be coincidence, the same material, the look, the form – even the ornamental decorations were redone to the point. Only the part near the elbow – a webbed stamp, imprinted in the metal – was coated in a bright red varnish.

“Hey, don't they look just like yours?”, Tony asked, understanding lighting up his face as he threw another glance into his box and patted the armour. Nodding, Loki summoned his own, setting them down besides the box. The four pieces were almost identical.

“Oh, now that's totally unfair.”, Jane pouted and crossed her arms. “I worked my ass off and Stark gets them for free? Admit it, you've bought them!”, she grumbled, but Loki saw the tiny spark of amusement.

“Not even his money could buy Odin, let alone the council.”, the black haired man snorted before looking up and smirking at his spouse.

“Congratulations, you have passed my Father's tasks without even attending. Consider yourself citizen of Asgard and Prince of the Realm Eternal from today on.”

“Wait, what?”, Pepper and Clint exclaimed simultaneously, leaning forward and staring at Thor, Loki and Tony respectively. In turns.

Thor beamed, clasping one shoulder of the engineer and squeezing (softly, his friends were still awfully breakable). Said human had lost his jaw to the floor and was now busy blinking in confused irritation.

“You have proven to possess a variety of characteristics that are honoured and praised on Asgard, and therefore have been granted full access to the City, as an equal and as a friend.”

“Yes, and how exactly he has done that _without being present_ would be very interesting, Brother. Would you please...?”, Loki exhaled, utterly annoyed that his question was not answered as of now.

The blonde actively snickered.

“Heimdall has attested his courage and prowess in battle, Jane has praised his wit and intelligence, Mother herself has stated that you are a brave and good-hearted person, Anthony, and I may have exaggerated a bit while being asked to tell about your ability to lead a kingdom by stating that you already are ruling a part of this world.”

The room burst out into laughter.

“You lied to them and told them he's a P _rince_?”, Loki snorted, while Natasha had to withhold any snorting chuckling that wanted to escape her.

Thor shrugged with a wide grin.

“I wanted to know if the Council truly takes my word for true whatever I say. They did not even ask me to elucidate what I meant.”

“So what, I'm officially one of you now?”, the engineer wanted to know, a manic gleam in his eyes.

Nodding, Loki leaned back and let his own vambraces vanish again.

“Royal family, even. Vambraces are only given to members of Odin's house, or Bor's before him. Jane has gotten her own set when she was welcomed into Asgard. The more... common people would have gotten a small trinket, a pin or a ring, something like that.”

“Awesome. Can I put that in my résumé? And does that make us legal up in the Fairy-Realm?”

Loki chuckled. “If you want, and no. We have yet to undergo the old Rites.”

“Well then. Is it urgent, now that I'm official?”

“Nay.”, Thor answered. “It is your decision alone if and when you will wed after asgardian custom. Loki was wed by law of another Realm, and though that may not be counted official, it will be accepted. It is not mandatory for you to undergo our own rites.”

Crawling around the table, their daughter sat down to his feet and looked at him while playing with the Action Figures she had gotten from Coulson (why the heck did he gift her something? She did not even know him!).

“Daddy, where is my brother?”

It took them all by so much surprise, most were short of choking of various reasons (drinks, spit, breath...), and Tony shot Steve a miserable look. The soldier raised his hands and shrugged, coughing and smirking.

“Oh no, don't look at me, this is not my thing to take care of.”

“I have tried to be very good, but Santa did not bring me a brother. Was I bad?”, she wanted to know and the engineer winced while massaging the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

“No, Pumpkin, you were the best girl in all the Worlds, and Santa knows this. But, Dizzy, a brother is not something he gives away as a present, you know?”

“Why not? I asked him for one.”

“Sweetheart, a baby needs a lot of time to actually come into existence, your wish was a bit short-notice even for Santa.”

She pouted in the adorable way small children always did and her lower lip started trembling.

“Please don't, Ásdís, don't cry. Look, why don't you go to your Uncle and pester him a bit, I bet he would love to fulfil your wish.”

Jane shook her head as soon as the girl turned around to face Thor (who was currently trying to hide his face behind a mug) and made huge eyes.

“No, no, no, under no circumstances. I'm sorry, Sweetie, but I'm so not ready to be a Mum, and short of an accident there will be no cousins for you.”

The pout turned epic, and the lip trembled a lot harder. Moving over to Loki, the child regarded him with a heart-melting gaze and scrambled up on his lap, snuggling down on him. Sighing, he put his arms around the girl and pulled her tight to his chest.

“Have a bit more patience, Munchkin.”, he said and kissed her head, and she pressed herself against his frame harder, thick tears in her eyes. “I'm sure there is a child somewhere just waiting to be your brother or sister. Give them a bit more time.”

“I want one _now_.”, she stressed, fisting the shirt of her Papa in a tight grip, other hand wrapped around the Hulk-Figure while Captain America had slid down her skirt, lying upside down on her legs, feet up.

“I'm sorry, but this is nothing I can just make happen, Ásdís. Even if I could, it would at least take nine months for the baby to arrive.”

“Nine months? Why?”

“A baby needs to grow first, and they need nine months to be big enough to be born.”, Loki explained with the patience of a saint, while the others snickered softly and began to clear the living room of wrapping papers and bows.

“Did I grow so long, too?”

Gently smiling at her, the god nodded and set another kiss on her head.

“Yes, darling. We knew you would come, but we had to wait for you to be ready. Do you think you can wait a bit longer for them to be okay with coming to us?”

She sniffled a bit and remained silent for some moments before hugging Loki and climbing down again, snatching the Cap as she slid down the couch.

“I'll wait a bit. Can you ask him to be ready soon?”

“Of course. No promises, though, babies are quite stubborn.”

She watched him for some more seconds, and Loki felt almost like squirming. At last Ásdís turned away and ran over to Clint and Bruce, thrusting her figures into their hands and fetching the matching Black Widow, initiating a fight between them.

The Trickster rubbed his forehead and exhaled in a long breath. Norns, this little devil. He chuckled quietly.

“Crisis averted, huh?”, Natasha said and handed him a glass of eggnog, which Loki took gratefully, leaning back and relaxing.

“It took me three weeks to convince her that I cannot just magic up a child after Steve told her that sometimes 'magic happens'.”, he mumbled and rolled his eyes, sipping his drink.

“I'm not having the Talk with your two-year old, Loki, no chance.”, aforementioned blonde housemate called from the kitchen, making Tony laugh.

“It was funny as hell!”

“I feel for Father if you were like she is right now.”, Thor stated as dry as he could muster, eliciting another round of chuckles and giggles and finally joined. Loki shot him his best glare while taking another mouthful of eggnog.

“You just wait until you have one of your own, and then we'll see how funny you'll think this is. I figure even if you were content with smashing things, Jane was a very curious child.”

 

 

At the end of January, Loki and Thor went on to search for the Elves on Nidavellir, inquiring about missing people and strange sightings, carefully avoiding any environment that could prove fatal. Loki had lifted his shrouding spell so that they could be traced in case of something happening, and after two days of crouching and lurking around, they found a lair – abandoned, but not very old, probably left in a hurry. Tents were still standing, there were weapons lying around, and the faint signature in the air reeked of the Aether.

Heimdall sent a group of warriors to take the place apart within an hour, so the Brothers could leave and make their report to Odin before returning to Midgard.

The sorcerer had begun teaching Thor how to work the spell that should ban the Aether in the vessel, but it was straining for the God of Thunder, even when aided by Mjölnir. He was not cut out for magic like Loki apparently was (oh, no news there...).

“Well, let's hope you'll get the hang of this quickly enough, or that I am able to do it myself.”, the younger stated, dry and with a raised eyebrow, and Thor shoved him with an annoyed grunt.

 

 

“Oh gods, take that away.”, Jane muttered and closed her eyes while adapting her breathing to a slower rate. Steve closed the fridge, placing the left-over tomato sauce back into it with a worried look and instead got her a glass of water.

“What's wrong?”, Bruce asked from behind his newspaper. “It was fine yesterday.”

“Don't ask me, I'm a little queasy this morning, no big deal. I have that from time to time.”

“Soft form of Gastritis?”

“Probably.”, she moaned and sipped her water. “Will go away in a few days, I hope.”

“I see you use my kitchen once again.”, Tony remarked when he entered some minutes later, husband and child in tow and set for some breakfast.

“So much more cosy up here than down all alone.”, Bruce said and put away the paper to shuffle over, making space for the three.

When Steve opened the fridge once again, Jane winced and Loki went a little green around the nose.

“By Yggdrasil, what has died in there?”, he ground out and rubbed his stomach. “This smell is vile beyond reason.”

“Don't tell me you have Gastritis as well.”, the Doc asked with a raised brow and mild amusement. Loki shook his head.

“I don't even know what that is.”

“Ah, let me know if it persists, then.”

“You okay, Lokes? I've never seen you sick.”, Tony asked, considerate as he had learned to be while with Loki, and his husband nodded softly.

“I'm fine. It is most likely my magic warning me that I have too much stress, what with that whole trailing and excavating these hiding places. No big deal.”

They decided to get rid of the tomato sauce when Clint came in and almost turned to leave once again after taking a look into the fridge and gagging.

 

 

Asgard in spring was breathtaking, Tony thought when they went to visit for a weekend in March. It was warm, not overly so but very comfortable, there were flowers everywhere and the trees were in full bloom, painting the City a sea of white's and pink petals.

“This tops even the Japanese Sakura-bloom.”, he said to Loki, who grinned in return and told him to wait for the Royal gardens, filled with foreign plants from all Nine Realms, carefully grown and bred by a whole array of gardeners.

Since Ásdís had not seen more than the Palace the last time they had been there, it was decided that they would walk her around a bit, show her the market and the shore before leaving the hustle and bustle of an usual day in the City and going to see Frigga and Odin.

“This looks like the market Brain showed me.”, the small girl piped curiously when she first saw the stalls and booths, gripping Loki's hand tighter despite the inborn curiosity to run away and check out everything she could find.

“It is something like that, Munchkin.”

“Daddy! Daddy, look, it's sweets!”, she squeaked and tugged her Papa along to the stall, nose curiously peeking up to the pots of honey and sugared and candied fruits she had seen at the wedding.

“May I have some?”, she asked as politely as she could (depicting the image of a perfectly well-behaved little girl that could not hurt a fly) while letting her gaze wander over the displayed sweets, finally landing on the Asgardian kiwis.

She seemed to learn how to get exactly what she wanted just as her Papa. Interesting. They should have an eye on that.

Snorting and rolling his eyes, Loki grinned and asked for some, Tony right behind and complaining about the wide range of choice.

“Can I have some too, Sweet Pea?”, he wanted to know with a small pout and dramatically wide eyes, making both Jane and Thor laugh as they followed.

“Think you can work out enough to get rid of them again?”, the Trickster returned the question with a raised brow and a pointed look at his lover's belly, what earned him an indignant “Loki!”.

The clerk paled and froze while studying the group, before suddenly making haste and almost knocking over one of the tables in his hurry.

“No need to get all anxious now.”, the sorcerer drawled, but was very pleased that his words two years prior had obviously left an impression with the people. “Ásdís, please refrain from climbing up, it will not make the poor man pack the fruits any faster.”

“But Papa--”

“Stay on the ground, whatever Clint has told you. You are neither bird nor monkey.”

Giving him the evil eye, halfway up a barrel that probably contained more sugared things, she pursed her lips. Stubborn as her Uncle.

“Last chance, Pumpkin, or I'll eat it all myself.”, Tony then said and was handed the wrapped goods while Loki paid for them.

The girl did not like it in the least, but the sweets won in the end and she hopped down again, lips still pursed and face scrunched up with disdain.

“We had this conversation, Dizzy. It's very impolite to climb other people's things.”, the engineer said to her. “You should not take Brain's words for the truth – not always, at least.”

“But I like climbing.”, she pouted at him. Then her eyes caught the clerk again, a strained smile on his face while he held out a candied piece of apple to her.

“For the way, Princess?”, he asked and eyed Loki warily. The child turned to her Papa, as well, eyes wide and pleading for him to say yes. Curling his lips into a small smile was enough for her to jump around and stretching up to take the offered treat, returning to his hand on her own.

“Haven't you forgotten something, darling?”

Like pushing a switch Ásdís turned into the shiest girl in all the Realms, peeping up from under her eyelashes back to the salesman and pressing herself into Loki's legs.

“Thank you, Mister.”, she cheeped and immediately turned away again.

“See, that's what I call a good girl.”, Tony grinned and stroked her hair affectionately.

“Do you want some as well, my love?”, Thor inquired softly and sent a loving gaze down to his wife.

“I'm sorely tempted. What are these?”, she asked and pointed to a plate.

“The Princess has good taste – these are berries from the southern lands, as sweet as honey and richer in flavour than any other berry you'll ever taste.”, the salesman told her, back to his old self once Loki was gone.

Thor unceremoniously bought two handful – if Jane wanted, she would have. She felt oddly pampered.

In a good way.

“May I inquire as to what the... younger Prince will do?”, the man wanted to know, prompting both Jane and Thor to meet his gaze in lack of understanding.

“Have I... angered him in any way, I mean?”

“Oh by the Nine.”, Thor exhaled and chuckled. “Are you all that afraid of him?”

The man shuffled from one foot to the other in his anxiety.

“As long as you treat them like normal people there is nothing to fear.”, Thor said merrily, knowing exactly that his words did not really make anything better.

“It's a very easy concept, really.”, Jane nodded. “You are nice to them, they will return the sentiment. Go against the child, and the whole family will respond. That includes us.”

Happily smiling, they walked away to join the three, leaving the clerk frozen in place.

“Have my eyes played me a trick or have you actually _threatened_ someone?”, the sorcerer wanted to know with a chuckle when they made their way over to another stall. Jane shrugged.

“Just making sure that they know you're not the only one protecting her.”

“Aw, thank you, dear.”, he grinned and kissed her cheek.

The next second, both groaned and pinched their eyes closed.

“What's the problem?”, Tony asked, already searching for whatever could have caused such a reaction, while Thor looked worried.

“What ails you, my love?”

Jane waved and pressed her hand to her stomach.

“It's that damned Gastritis again. I'm sensitive to tomatoes, it seems.”, she whined quietly and pointed to the booth in front of them where the salesman had just parted the vegetables (fruits? Earth was not sure) from their trusses, what resulted in a strong smell that obviously did upset both of them.

Loki rubbed his forehead gently and gave his husband a wry smirk.

“Magic. Fickle beast. Makes me hate them when under stress.”

“Then let's walk, it's not like we're forced to stay here.”, Tony suggested.

The feeling eased visibly, both Jane and Loki relaxed when they crossed a street.

“Give me one of these berries, Thor, I need to get the tomato out of my system.”

“Great idea, I'll take a piece of kiwi.”

 

 

Thor banned every dish from the table at dinner that contained even a trace of tomato, to the amusement of the others.

Ásdís did her best in annoying both Odin and Frigga to hell and back with her unending list of questions about the palace, the guards, the strange clothing and whatever got her interest.

“Okay, Pumpkin, you know what? We'll keep some of these questions for later and give your grandparents a bit of peace right now.”, Tony demanded some time into the evening. “I think you'll suck them dry with all that asking.”

An epic pout was his answer.

“We do not mind, Anthony. It is refreshing to have such a curious child in these halls again.”, the Allfather said gently and smiled when the girl scrambled up and rushed up to him, a wild gleam in her eyes as she probably thought of a thousand more questions.

“What's a norse god? Daddy called Papa a living norse god but wouldn't explain to me. Is it like the stories of the man Teeve's told me about?”

Groaning, her parents slid down their chairs.

“Dizzy, we'll explain that once you're a bit older.”  
“But I want to know now!”

“You don't even know what a god is, Sweetie.”

“That's why I am asking.”, she replied with a smug grin.

Both king and Queen as well as Jane and Thor erupted into loud laughter.

“Dear, you are just like your father.”, Frigga chuckled.

Loki felt like melting in bliss when the child smiled proudly at that statement.

Once the king had explained to her what a god was, she seemed content for the moment and began to study Gungnir, leaning on the chair.

Loki buried his face in his hands as a memory flashed before his eyes.

“Oh Norns, I actually _remember_ doing that as well.”, he mumbled.

Suffice to say, the evening was filled with amused laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I think I just let that sink in without further comments. See you on Wednesday. ;)


	14. Attack on Asgard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Algrim comes. Loki is in for the shock of his life.  
> Sif acts like a mature being for a change.

 

 

They did not anticipate the attack in the middle of the night. Even though Heimdall had sensed the disturbance rather quick, the ship the Elves attacked with smashed into the City, turning the streets into an inferno of fire and screams, panic rising in the people.

“What's happening?”, Ásdís wanted to know after the alarms had woken her, now secure in Tony's arms as they ran down the corridors, meeting up with Jane and Thor before reaching the doors to the main hall.

“The bad people have come. Whatever we say, you _need_ to do it, okay, Sweetie?”, Tony urged her. “We'll keep you safe, don't be afraid.”

She pressed herself deeper in his embrace, sensing the fear all around her.

“Stay with Jane and your Grandmother. No running away, no teleporting. I need you to be a good girl and do whatever they say.”, Loki said to her when she was handed over to Frigga, kissing her forehead.

“I promise, Papa.”, she whispered.

“Perfect. Stay safe.”

Sif and the Warriors Three joined them in the throne room, while they were brainstorming how to best counter the attack.

“We _must_ protect the girls.”, Loki said. “Fandral, Hogun, keep them safe. Mother may be able to protect herself, but I will not take any chances.”

_ Not now. Never. _

Nodding, they left.

“We will take on what ever has happened down there.”, Thor boomed.

“Go. I will take care of the palace.”, Odin said, and a second later, Loki had brought them to the shore.

The Elves had gathered more victims, they noticed. How they managed to turn them, Loki did not know, and to be honest – he did not want to.

They raided houses and taverns, brought destruction to the streets and places, burning everything in their way. The guards and even the Einherjers were no match for them, getting killed in mere moments.

As last time, their strength dwarfed any Aesir tenfold. Weapons did not seem to have any effect on the blazing hot skin of the Kursed, gliding off without making any sort of impression. Even Iron Man had nothing on them, repulsors a weak force against such strength, thus opting to return to the palace and help guarding the woman.

Loki himself had no leverage over them with his tiny throwing knifes, so he tried various spells and hexes, but was robbed of his strongest element – fire would not hurt them. He did not want to find out if it would make them even stronger.

His head snapped up in epiphany.

“Thor! Get them back to the water!”, he yelled, already coating every street in ice as soon as he could, hissing sounds filling the streets when the Kursed stepped on it and cooled them down, eliciting pained outcries.

Sif and Volstagg understood immediately. Taunting four of them at the same time, they lured them back, Loki blocking every way into the City with high walls of Ice.

It seemed to work. Herding the enemies back to their ship took a bit of time, but when they had finally done it, they were perched on a small stripe of sand, one side full of water, the other side encased in Ice – there was no way out for them without serious injuries and possible extinction.

The price had been too high, though. The City lay in flames.

“Where is Algrim?”, Sif asked panting, part of her hair scorched, and the sorcerer as well as the First Prince whirled around to look at her.

“He is not here?”, Thor wanted to know and looked around. Loki cursed.

“He's gone. Again.”

“Much worse.”, Volstagg stated and pointed to the palace, where an explosion rocked the--

“Jane.”, the blonde god breathed and was gone in a matter of milliseconds.

Loki was numbed. How had he not seen this? Before he could react in any way, a piercing wail had him and the two warriors besides him jerk around again, watching as Algrim emerged out of thin air.

“DADDY!”, Ásdís screamed from where she was, forced under his arm as the Elf carried her away, big tears rolling down her cheeks. “PAPA!”

The Trickster's blood froze.

“PAPA!”, she screamed again, wriggling against the creature that held her, and he thought he would die on the spot with the desperation and disdain she called for him, and he just stood there, unable to do anything.

Algrim grabbed the small body harder to his own, taking her tiny hands in his while procuring a dagger, holding it to her neck. The tears rolled faster and thicker, the sobbing the purest form of torture for Loki when she called for him again and again.

“Release them.”, the Elf demanded, and the Ice melted the second after.

“If you dare to hurt her, I'll rip you apart.”, the god hissed.

There was no answer. Algrim just watched as his creatures were set free, growling and grunting while nursing the frostbite they had suffered.

Thor and Tony came flying, both furious and filled with anger, but they could not see what exactly had happened, training their weapons on Algrims back while he held their daughter in the front, still threatening to slay her.

“STOP!”, Loki screamed to them, raising his hands to emphasize the word. “Don't attack!”

“Where is my niece, Elf?”, Thor roared, Mjölnir already crackling with lightning.

“He has her.”, his brother whispered, face a cold mask of unprecedented horror. “Don't attack.”

“And she will serve my purposes well.”, Algrim said and turned to enter the ship. Neither moved.

They just watched, as if they were from stone, how he dragged her towards the biggest and ugliest form of transportation they had ever seen.

“Let her go.”, Loki pleaded at last. There had to be something he could do.

“In exchange for what, íss hveðrungr?”

“Anything. Give her back, and I will give you the Universe.”

It seemed as if he would seriously consider this for a few moments. Then Algrim tightened his grip around Ásdís, and she cried out when his nails bit into her skin. Loki swore to tear him apart hair by hair and cell by cell just to draw it out and punish him for hurting his child.

“I think I will keep her. It likes her energy.”

Tony made a sound like choking while Thor growled, but restrained himself. Loki felt like being punched in the gut.

Oh Norns, please don't let that happen.

The Elf pushed his daughter onto the platform, short of entering the ship, and the sorcerer took his chance. The second Algrim let go of her to wave the Kursed to him, he sent a clone, materialized at her side, shielding her from the creature, and vanished again with his daughter secure in his arms.

The Aether blasted Algrim into the ship in a sudden effort to bring as much distance between them as possible, lashing out and sending water and sand into their direction.

Tony rushed to his family, taking over shushing the small girl that shrieked and sobbed in fear and terror, and Loki did not care any more.

He summoned the Casket and unleashed its powers, freezing the beach solid in under five seconds, capturing the Kursed and attempting to do the same with the ship and Algrim.

He doubled his efforts, pouring his own magic into the relic to fuel the growth of the ice, but it apparently was futile. The ship was enormous, and it tore free of the Ice, vanishing into the dark night before anyone could stop it.

The Casket slipped from his hands, and Loki collapsed, falling to his knees. His heart almost burst out of his chest, adrenaline had overrun anything else in his blood and he felt like the worst being in all the Realms for being unable to protect his child.

His breathing was ragged, forceful and too shallow, but he could not allow himself to let go and let himself sink into the panic that wanted to engulf him.

That he had changed to Jotun and back did not even cross his mind.

“Ásdís.”, he wheezed, turning around and she tugged herself free from the tight embrace Tony had held her in, shuffling over and pressing herself into her mother's arms, sobbing and afraid.

“Ásdís, beloved child. Are you hurt? Has he done anything to you?”

She shook his head, and then nodded.

“My shoulder hurts.”, she whispered and tried to bury herself as far into his body as she could. Loki all but wrapped himself around her so she never would have to feel like this again, tears of his own spilling.

“It's okay, child. You were so brave. I'm so, so sorry.”, he gave back and kissed her head in the desperate attempt to get her to calm down while healing her shoulder.

Pressing his eyes together when his head started to hurt, he shifted into his female form without thinking about it, and apparently the child relaxed a bit more with the softer body around her.

“Mama, I was so scared.”, she sniffled and gazed up from under her thick eyelashes (definitely Tony's), the big green-brown orbs still wet and puffy red.

“I know, Sweetheart, I was, too. I was so afraid he would hurt you really bad. Or that he would take you away from me.”

“But you promised I would be safe. And you made him go away.”

By Yggdrasil, she still trusted her with all her heart. Continuing to pepper her head and face with kisses, Loki sat down and settled her daughter in her lap, softly rocking her while waiting for her to calm down.

“I'll do anything for your safety, Munchkin. Anything.”, she whispered. Tony sank down at her side and stroked both their backs.

“How did he get to her?”, she asked softly and leaned her head against his shoulder, glad for any form of support he could provide.

“They knocked out Hogun and Fandral, Frigga was doing her best to hide them, but apparently Algrim saw through her illusion and snatched her before she could do anything. Jane tried to get her back, but hey, she's just a girl. I got stuck helping some people out of their burning houses, and when I arrived, they were already gone.”, Tony explained. “So I turned around and met Point Break just after getting in the air.”

“Why is the beach icy all over?”, Ásdís then wanted to know, and both Loki and Tony chuckled shakily.

“There were a lot of bad persons here, and I froze them before they could escape.”

“Can we go skating tomorrow?”

“Gods, Pumpkin, you're okay. So super brave. I'm proud of you.”

She shifted around until she was sitting in Loki's and Tony's lap respectively, one fist buried in the now overly wide tunic Loki wore and the other resting on her Daddy's arc-reactor.

“I don't need to be afraid. You're both here.”, she said and patted the reactor while looking at it intently.

“Come on, Dizzy, let's get back. Your Gran is worrying for sure if you're all right.”, Tony said after some moments, using them to kiss his wife and make sure she was okay as well.

Despite claiming that all was good, the wince Loki made when she straightened, to bend down again almost immediately after and pressing a hand to her belly was not reassuring.

“Lokes?”

“I'm fine. Go on.” she gasped, not moving an inch.

“You know, I could carry you both.”

“I'm not sure I would like that right now.”

“I will stay. Bring your daughter home.”, Thor said after letting them enough time to get calm. “It's fine, we will come soon.”

“Go, Tony. I just need a second.”

“You better.”, he said, kissed her again and snatched up his daughter. “Come on Princess, how about a ride?”

Loki sat down again as soon as they were in the air, breathing deeply and rubbing her stomach to ease the nausea and the soft cramps.

“What is wrong, sister?”

“Thor, sometimes you are really dimwitted.”, Sif drawled and crouched down. “Would water help?”

“Probably. Thank you.”, the sorcerer grit out, and the warrior made Volstagg go and fetch some.

“Someone get the Casket, please. Don't worry, it will not burn you.”

Thor set to it, and Loki felt the uncomfortable feeling in her gut receding at last. Sif rubbed her back, what was awkward enough.

“Do they know already?”

Shaking her head, the Trickster exhaled and thanked Volstagg for providing her the drink.

“I wanted to wait until tomorrow. Damn this Elf.”, she cursed, making Sif snort.

“Perhaps it was better like this. Neither Anthony nor Thor would have let you out if they had known. And without you, they would have all escaped.”, the warrior said quietly, still stroking the small back at her side.

“Norns, Sif, stop with it, you'll make me blush.”, Loki chuckled.

“You know that half the City watched you use the Casket, don't you? They saw.”, the other woman finally spit out. The Trickster smiled warily.

“I had a child to protect, what is this secret against the live of my Ásdís?”

“It was a brave thing to do.”

“It was not conscious. I'd never give away a tactical advantage like that while seeing another way out.”, Loki scoffed and attempted to stand up. Sif steadied her. How... nice. The pulling and overall sore feeling that had her belly cramping had finally eased into a faint tug behind her navel.

“Loki, could you please defrost the sand at least? It is a bit... icy!”, her brother yelled. It seemed the Casket had not remained where Loki had let it go. Huh. They should think about ABS-socks for the colder months...

Her magical reserves were low, but warming a small path would be in her might, she figured.

The headache flared up again when she had heated about half the way. Ah, right. Female body and magic did not work as well as male and magic.

“I'm sorry, I'm done. Can't do more.”

She yawned.

“I need a bed.”, she mumbled. Thor stumbled over the ice and pressed the Casket into her hands.

“Thank you, Brother.”, she said and made it vanish, curiously noting that her hands had taken on the male form in the short second of being on contact with the relic, turning blue in a staggering short time.

“Can you teleport?”, her older sibling asked and looked as tired as she felt.

“No. I have to walk the long way through the masses that finally have seen my true skin. What fun.”, she snarked with an amused tone. “Just... keep your pace a bit slower than usual. I'm a bit unwell.”

“Of course.”

Odin and a whole array of guards crossed their path when they stepped on the first street.

“Are you all right?”, he asked, and both his children nodded.

“Yes. Tired, and moody because we have lost him again, but fine.”, Loki answered for them both.

“Moody is far too nice a sentiment. I am beyond moody.”, her brother muttered.

The old king squeezed Thor's shoulder and kissed Loki's forehead – something he had done never before. Perhaps because Loki had never before worn this body in front of him.

“Rest. We will take care of the enemies.”

“Thank you, Father.” Thor said and pulled his sister with him, trotting through the streets while already half asleep.

“Norns, Thor, pull yourself together. It is a shame with you.”

“Shut up, Loki.”, he growled. Sif and Volstagg rolled their eyes.

They went past a lot of people, all watching them intently. Loki was too tired to pay them any attention. She would see how that would play out in no time at all. Far more annoying as any citizen could be was the hem of her trousers, legs far too long because fitted to her male form and the whole thing was sliding down her hips a bit. The Shirt was too wide, but hey, male shirts looked good on most females.

“Wait for a moment.”, she sighed and set to roll up the legs so she could walk without tripping all over her own clothing. “This seriously sucks with being a shape shifter.”

“Can't you just... I do not know, charm your clothes to fit?”, Volstagg wanted to know and eyed her curiously.

“Usually not a problem, but I was enhancing the Casket's own power with my magic, depleting it. I am... currently unable to use all my energy.”

Thor threw her a sideways glance, squinting at her but deciding against saying anything.

The tug in her belly intensified again, forcing her to stop and brace herself on her knees while taking deep breaths.

“Shall we call for help?”, Sif asked, making Loki chuckle weakly.

“It is _really_ strange for you to aid me of all people.”, she said but shook her head. “No. I just have to take it slow.”

The warrior huffed and shot her a dark glance. “I am not the monster you paint me to be.”

“No. I am, isn't that right?”, Loki grinned at her just as dark, like the menace she could be when circumstances called for it. “I am what let's you stay awake at night.”

“By all the Realms, Loki, stop saying such things.”, Thor grunted, but the younger one just chuckled and went on with small, slow steps.

“Oh, let me have my fun, you know I am not caring about that any more. I have accepted long ago what I am. It's just so amusing to rub it in.”

“That is antagonizing, not rubbing it in.”

“Antagonizing would be running around scaring little children.”

“No, that would be terrorizing the Aesir.”

“Are we really discussing semantics over my heritage?”

“Apparently we are.”

Volstagg groaned. “I need something to eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally hitting action and drama. What does Algrim plan with Ásdís? How can she be protected?  
> All that and more following soon ;)
> 
> Thank you all for your reviews! <3


	15. A purpose and an Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know what follows. It's been clear.  
> Loki's doing domesticity :D

 

 

By the time they arrived in the palace, news had already outrun them – Tony had told what had happened, and the information about Loki's true heritage had spread like wildfire.

Eir was awaiting them when they were led into the rooms of the royal family, fussing over Thor before he could convince her to check Loki first.

“She has had strange pains in her abdomen.”, he told her and let his eyes search the room for his wife, and let Loki defend herself from the prying healer.

“I'm fine, I just need a bit of rest and time to refill my magic.”, she pouted when she was prodded and forced to endure an asgardian physical. Sif gave her a glare and pushed on a chair to sit.

“Let her see if you are well. I will not bear your husbands rage if you turn out to be not.”, she said, and Tony entered with a sleeping Ásdís in his arms in just that moment, Jane right behind. He made his way over to her without missing a heartbeat, carefully kneeling down as to not wake their child and kissed her hands.

“Are you all right? You took awfully long.”

“Sorry, I had to make slow.”, she said and smiled at him. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah, fell asleep as soon as I was out of the suit. She'll sleep with us tonight, though, I will not let her out of my sight.”

“Fully approved.”, Loki sighed. Eir coughed.

“My Lady, we should talk in private.”

Tony snorted at her and stood up again.

“No secrets between us. Is Bean #2 okay? And you don't roll your eyes, your own fault for thinking you can keep this from me. Magic making you sick to tomatoes, that's the lamest excuse you have ever hatched. When?”, he asked and kissed the messy head that Loki called her own, fetching a second chair and sitting down to offer a shoulder to lean on. The sorceress did so as soon as he was low enough.

“Yesterday for sure. I had a hunch, though, for the last three weeks. I didn't want to get your hopes up by sporting nonsense.”

Eir looked pretty nonplussed.

“You are able to detect a pregnancy on your own?”

Grinning, Loki nodded.

“The magic can. We're communicating, and I can feel the baby as soon as the heart has begun beating without stuttering.”

“Even if that would not be the case, we Earthlings have a pretty useful thing called pregnancy test, which measures certain hormones in the pee and gives you a result based on them.”

“Fascinating.”, the healer said. “Your child is well, Princess, but you should rest for the next few days. Your tissues are strained, and the pain you have experienced was a warning. Not many children are lost while still in the womb, but there are some that are not ready for these Worlds. Don't let your child be one of them.”

“I will do my best.”

“You will care for your wife, Anthony. She is to not bend a single finger over the next three weeks.”

“Oh, now that is bed rest, and I _loathe_ bed rest, Eir, you know that!”, she whined. “I promise to not do any hard work and refrain from anything strenuous, please don't put me on bed rest!”

The healer ignored her and turned to leave. Tony shifted so Loki could kiss her daughter's head, gently carding through her loose locks.

“I was so scared for her, Tony. I felt as though I had already lost her.”, she whispered.

“Me too.”, he breathed back. “Thank you for saving her.”

“Oh gosh, Tony, never thank me for rescuing my own child. That's a built in feature.”

“I know. Even so. I would have not known what to do.”

He kissed her forehead, locking one hand with her, the other arm protectively curled around the sleeping girl in his arms.

Loki almost slipped into sleep when they had a few quiet moments. But then heavy footsteps approached and she opened her eyes to look into her brother's sky blue ones, a tiny spark of worry in his face, and she smirked. Jane followed close behind, looking as tired as them and a bit queasy to top it. The sorceress wondered if they had already heard the news.

“Are you well? Eir left pretty quick, but you have never needed to rest so often.”, he asked quietly as to not wake Ásdís.

Nodding was easy, and the smile that crept up her face would stay.

“I'm a bit... delicate to handle, as of now. Congratulations, Brother, you are to be an Uncle again.”

The wide grin that split Thor's skull lit up the entire room.

“I knew it. What you said in the streets, it was familiar.”, he said, voice hushed. “This is wonderful news. May this time be good with you.”

“Well, I already have learned to stay away from tomatoes.”, Loki said wryly and rubbed her stomach in sympathy. Jane pushed her husband away and embraced first her and then Tony with enthusiasm, smiling as bright as Thor did.

“Accident or purpose?”, she asked with a merry twinkle in her eyes.

“Remember when Dizzy asked Steve about a brother?”, Tony responded with a grin, and both nodded. “Yeah, we actually tried to not think about it. We tossed that notion overboard when you returned with that dragon-hide. I may have not been overly good with hiding the effect the idea of another one had on me.”

“With the rate we were going, there is no way we could declare this one an accident.”, Loki stated drily. “What about you? I would go with accident.”

Tony actually bit into his fist to not laugh out loud when neither Thor nor Jane seemed to understand.

“Definitely accident.”, he giggled.

“This is hilarious.”, Loki chuckled, glad over anything that would keep her head from thinking what had almost happened.

“What? What's going on?”, the petite brunette wanted to know and abruptly paled when the Trickster pointedly rested her hand on her abdomen.

“Oh gods.”

“So definitely accident. You owe Pepper fifty bucks.”, Tony chuckled under his breath.

“Damn.”, Loki cursed, but the overly amused grin stayed. Jane swayed for a second before sitting down as well.

“Please tell me you're joking.”, she breathed out, pale as a ghost and hands shaking. Thor followed, worried for the umpteenth time.

“What is it now? Shall I call for Eir again?”

“Are you _sure_?”, the scientist winced. Loki shrugged.

“I could try to find out.”

“Oh gods, please do.”

Carefully bending forward as to not disturb her tender tissues, she took one of Jane's hands and let her magic wander through her body, smiling when she felt her intuition turn true.

“Thor, I will kill you.”, the dainty woman growled and shot him a look that would put Loki's own glares look like loving caresses.

The blonde ducked, clearly not knowing why his wife was suddenly turning rage-monster on him.

“You will sleep on the couch. For a very, very, extremely long time.”

“Come on, nothing's going to happen, you can't get any more... um...”, Tony chuckled, but stopped short of spelling it out.

“Oh no, but he _will_ suffer for that. I don't even know _how_.”, she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and giving another poisonous glare to Thor when he attempted to touch her.

“What have I done, my love?”

“What have you... for banana's sake, man, you're thick as a brick sometimes.”, Jane muttered and pointed at the three ( and a half? Four?) persons in front of them.

“This! You did this! You promised me no strange rites and no hasted children!”

“God of Fertility there, Darling, it was bound to happen any time now. It's overdue, actually.”, Loki said with a grin.

At last the penny dropped even with Thor. His head snapped up so fast she was almost worried he had broken his own neck, staring first at Jane, at his sister, then at his wife again, and laughed once, before getting overly serious.

“You are better not jesting with me.”, he said and stared into Loki's eyes, who sighed.

“I would have found a better excuse than us both being sensitive to tomatoes, what is hysterical in and itself. This is real, brother. Congratulations.”, she said softly, with a tender look and Thor all but jumped up and pulled Jane into an embrace so full of joy that the woman had no other choice as to roll her eyes and accept her fate.

His laughter filled the hall as he lifted her up and in his arms, to spin her around with adrenaline in his veins. She all but clutched herself to his back, the motion not sitting well with her and wobbling when he let her down again.

“I am to be a father.”, he whispered, and Jane winced.

“You will pay for this.”, she promised.

“Anything for you.”

The big blonde kept her in his arms, sitting down and pulling her to his lap, beaming into the room with a goofish smile, while Jane still was a bit pale and jittery.

“Would it help you to feel it?”, Loki asked gently, propping up her hand so the other woman could grasp it if she wanted. “Perhaps I could show you.”

“I'm about to freak out here, if anything I'd rather not think about it.”

Soft laughter escaped the sorceress at that. She had felt the exact same thing.

“Jane, don't panic. Pepper and me needed hours to get Tony to calm down after we found out. It's no big deal to feel overwhelmed or not ready, most parents aren't. Just... give yourself a bit time. I was terrified.”

The look of absolute dismay and defiance made her chuckle. Softly carding her hand through Ásdís hair, Loki watched her sleeping child with love.

“When I felt her for the first time, it was like something had shifted into view at last. It was so... utterly optimistic and positive. It felt like bliss, happiness, love, faith, something blessed, all mixed into this tiny being that had taken residence in my belly, and Norns, Jane, it has not once lessened since then. She'll grow, yes, and she'll change, but these emotions? I don't think they'll ever leave.”

“I hate you.”, Jane grumbled but put her hand into Loki's.

A minute later, she leaned heavily against Thor, sniffling like a child with tears in her eyes as she was assaulted with all Loki had described for her, even if just for some moments.

She opened her mouth, but words failed to come, so she closed it again and buried herself in Thor's embrace.

“You have broken her, Sweet Pea.”, Tony chuckled, and rearranged himself when Ásdís moved, short of falling off his lap, before she opened her eyes, bleary and unfocused.

“Why's Nane crying?”, she piped with soft voice, rubbing her face and turning around so she could lean against her Daddy's chest. “Is she sad?”

“No, Pumpkin, she's happy. Sometimes people cry when they are really, really happy.”

“That doesn't make sense.”

Loki smiled and kissed her nose.

“I cried when I found out that you would come to us.”, she said, making her daughter's eyes go wide in surprise.

“You cried because of me? I have never seen you cry.”

“I don't cry often, you're right.”

“Are the bad men gone?”

Both her parents nodded solemnly.

“They are. Don't worry about it. We're here.”, the engineer reassured her with a tender smile.

“Why's Nane happy?”

“Why don't you go ask her?”, Loki proposed, and her daughter scrambled down her Daddy's lap within seconds to rush over and cuddled against the two of them with big, phenomenally curious eyes, chirping “Mama says you're happy and that's why you're crying. Why are you happy?”

Using the opportunity, Tony shuffled closer to his own spouse, getting his own tight embrace and nuzzled her hair.

“Say it.”, he ordered, and Loki took one of his hands and placed it where it had wandered to so often these last months.

“You are to be a father, Anthony.”

Ásdís whooped and turned around, a big grin on her face.

“Mama!”, she yelled in utter excitement, what had even Sif and Volstagg look up from the windows, where they had sat down to give their Princes a bit of privacy, and to guard any possible entries.

“Mama, they're having a baby!”

Volstagg fell from his chair in surprise. Sif rolled her eyes.

Bouncing like Flubber the small girl came back and scrunched up her face.

“Is this my brother then?”, she wanted to know. “You said I had to wait. I've waited.”

“No, Munchkin, Jane's and Thor's child will be your cousin. But,”, Loki interrupted her when she opened her mouths to complain again how good she had been, “if you can wait for another eight months, you will be a big sister. We're having a baby, too.”

Tony thanked every entity he could think of when his daughter fell asleep half an hour later after the second round of Adrenaline (based on joy and happiness this time) had burned out.

 

 

“Sooooo, how do you plan to tell your parents?”

“The occasion screams for something, doesn't it?”, the sorceress answered her husband the next morning while getting dressed, tossing around the male clothes she had brought and grumbling because there was nothing that would fit as she would have liked. Pouting, Loki turned around.

“Fetch a servant for me, love, I need something to wear.”

“Sure, use me, that's what I'm here for.”

“That and making me babies.”, she grinned and blew him a kiss, following him into the anteroom to their child.

She sat down and rubbed her belly – the strain was still there, and even though she had healed any damage to the tissue, it would persist for all she knew, at least for a few days more.

The girl sat down besides her the moment she had seen her, snuggling up to her Mama and cuddling the hell out of Loki.

“It will be a brother, right? I want a brother.”

“I can't say, darling, it could be a girl instead of a boy.”

“But girls are scary.”, Ásdís said, making Loki as well as Tony snicker lightly.

“Nattie can make people cry.”

“Oh Pumpkin, you're a girl, too.”

“I'm not scary.”

Her Daddy snorted and lifted her up to settle her on his shoulders, making her squeak in glee.

“Wait until you're a bit older, and I bet Tasha and your Mum will show you how to be scary. Good scary, because you can protect your little brother or sister that way.”

She thought about that for a second, before giggling.

“Can we switch with Nane and Toto if they get a boy and we don't?”

 

 

Jane was fidgeting, a nervous wreck if Loki had ever seen one. Her hands were shaking like leaves, and Thor was obviously oblivious to her restless behaviour in his own land of bliss. He had left her with them to fetch his friends for Breakfast, a merry smile on his features and a lightness in his steps that his sister had never seen on him.

“Jane, calm down. What are you afraid of?”, she asked while helping herself to some tea, not exactly easy with the wide flowing garb she had been given. Mental note: Get some Asgardian dresses fixed.

“I'm not afraid! Just, oh gods, what will they say?”, she whined and sat on her hands to get them out of the way. The Trickster chuckled airily and poured her some tea as well.

“They will adore you for providing them another grandchild to spoil, and you will love every minute of it, because the Allfather himself will bend over backwards to fulfil and indulge every whim you utter.”, Loki said.

Ásdís had squeezed herself between the two women, eager to be the first to hear what gender the babies would be and not at all believing her Daddy when he said that it would be a while until they would know.

“What if I turn out to be a horrible mother?”

“Oh please, even _I_ wouldn't have trusted Tony or myself with a kid before we absolutely had no other choice, and I think we're doing quite well.”

“Yeah, okay. Point taken.”

“Nane, are you having a boy?”, the little girl asked innocently, while trying to fetch some of the sweets on the table.

“Dizzy, we wait until your Uncle and your Grandparents are here.”, Tony chided. Loki winked at him before breaking off a small piece and giving it to her daughter.

“Next time, we will wait.”, she whispered. “Or we just don't get caught.”

Jane could not repress the laughter that bubbled up when the child nodded like she had just been graced with a super important secret, and her posture eased somewhat, making her seemingly more relaxed.

Finally, Thor returned with his warriors. All looked a bit tired, but then again, they had been woken in the absolute middle of the night, and sleep had been a rare treat. Especially Fandral and Hogun looked worse for the wear though, dark rings under their eyes and hair a mess. Ásdís giggled.

“Fanny's looking like a nest.”, she said, roping them in into her amusement.

But then Loki looked a bit closer, and saw how both avoided her gaze. Thor strode into the room, still grinning like a madman, Sif and Volstagg close behind and greeting them, while the other two seemed to falter, steps not as sure as they had been.

Curiosity prickled in her head.

At last Fandral plucked up the courage he claimed to have, dragged Hogun along and fell to his knee in front of Loki (or what could be called the front with sitting at a table – they had turned around to watch what happened) and her daughter in a bold show of submission.

“Forgive us, Princess. We have failed to see your child safe.”, the blonde uttered, his voice strained and raw. Well, that could explain the dark rings under their eyes.

“We should have noticed the approach.”, Hogun added, hand over his heart and gaze firmly trained on the floor.

For a moment, silence spread over them. Then the sorceress rolled her eyes and sighed annoyed.

“Stand up and forget it. You were outnumbered and not at fault.”

“We should have fought until our last breath.”, Hogun spat.

“And then what? We need you alive more than dead, now more than ever.”

That at least made Fandral look up into her face, lips curled up into a small smile and sluggishly leaning against the table. Then she grimaced and rubbed her belly. Again.

“Norns, I know already, stop pestering me. I'm lying down as soon as we're finished!”, she grumbled to herself, and then, with a quick glance to the two miffed warriors, made a curt motion for them to stand up already.

“Sit and break your fast with us. There is nothing to forgive. By the Nine, Tony, be a dear and get me a chair, would you? These benches are killing me.”, she groaned, and just as the Royal Couple entered, Hogun or Fandral (who cared, they had practically _fought_ to fulfil her wish) had made a chair appear (with a backrest, thank the Norns!), placed it at the end of the table and had sat down, looking awfully meek.

A moment of rearranging later, all were settled again, with Loki at the front, Ásdís and Tony at her sides, Jane besides the girl, Thor following. The rest had scattered at the remaining place, Odin at the other front, curiously noting Loki's position, but initializing the meal nonetheless.

“It is unusual for you to claim the face of the table.”, he said, noting but not judging.

“I would apologize, but I need a backrest, desperately, or Eir would confine me to the bed for the unforeseeable future.”

“What?”, Frigga exclaimed, and her eyes as well as Odin's and her two personal servants (...if she could perhaps use Hogun or Fandral to do any more of her bidding?) came to rest upon her figure, carefully taking in the mischievous smirk that lay on her lips.

“Have you been hurt?”

“You don't need to concern yourself about the matter, it will get better with time. I just need rest.”

Her mother sent a glare over the table, one of the kind that made you wish to vanish under whatever surface was available the fastest, for keeping whatever secret one kept.

“It's nothing, Mother, I swear. It is just a reminder to take it a bit slower these next few days and weeks.”

“Months, Loki. I'll get Bruce to Hulk you into bed if I must.”, Tony added, quite ardently fixing a sandwich and grinning at her. “And I'll do the same with Jane if there's the need.”

“Hey, I'm fine! I have no pains or strange sensations!”

“What in the name of Yggdrasil are you talking about?”, Fandral wanted to know. “Has there been happening more yesterday than we are aware of?”

Thor's smile grew a mile wide, blissfully glinting around the table, what made Sif groan, roll her eyes and bury her head in her hands (in that order exactly).

“Spill.”, Hogun demanded, and the Prince sat down his mug carefully.

“My Lady is with child.”

Frigga was the first to respond, a happy laugh escaping her, while clasping a hand to her chest.

“A second babe! Oh, Thor, if you let anything happen to Jane or the child I will personally hound you!”, she promised while hugging him, and rushed one place down the table to embrace Jane as well, immediately inquiring about her well-being.

“Lokes, I want, too. That sounds awfully cool.”, Tony whispered, “This whole 'My Lady'-thing, can I do that back home?”

“Do if it makes you happy.”, his wife chuckled and sounded like indulging a child.

Ah well, what a fitting term.

The next second, Ásdís yelled that she would be a big sister, the same goofish grin on her face that Thor sported, happily stuffing her face with the honeyed treats Asgard was so fond of.

“Darling child, you will be a cousin.”, Odin corrected her with a twinkle in his eyes, but the girl remained smiling as if Christmas and her Birthday had fallen on one day.

“Mama said I will be a big sister as well.”

When the four persons not yet informed looked to the sorceress, she smirked like the cat that just swallowed a truckload full of canaries.

“I have some _thrilling_ news you will want to hear.”, she said, reciting the words she had given her mother three years prior, and her gaze softened while noting the wet eyes her parents sported (not only because of her, but her brother's unborn as well, she was sure. It was reassuring nonetheless).

And pinched her eyes shut, belly rebelling again.

“Alas, yesterday night might not have been overly good to me.”, she mumbled when another bout of nausea hit.

Of course what followed was a mix of congratulations to the parents-to-be, as well as a serious scolding as to why in Hell Loki had thought it a good idea to exert herself like that in her delicate condition. As soon as they had stuffed her and Jane full of food to ensure their grandchildren's well-being, they had been ushered out to a room with better seating areas, forced to remain there for the near future, and until Eir had checked them over once more.

“Look at the bright side – we're allowed to do absolutely nothing but care for ourselves, _and_ demand our every need to be catered to.”, the Trickster declared while getting comfortable.

“I'm bored already.”, Jane stated as drily as she could, making her fellow pregnant girl snicker.

“Well, now's a good time as ever to start learn our language, then. We have a lot of free time on our hands. That reminds me, I have never quite gotten the hang of knitting. Care to learn with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I did not hide it very good, I know - but I did not want to ;)  
> Only question now - will Dizzy get her wish? I know the answer already. :D  
> Thank you all so much for your ongoing interest! I love you!


	16. To go on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How will Asgard react to all these news? And what about the Avengers back home?

 

 

The news of Thor's impending fatherhood and the resulting next Prince/Princess in line for the throne spread as fast as the truth about Loki's heritage had. She did not know, neither was she overly interested how the masses took in either information, but could not help herself and pricked up her ears when she came upon people who discussed it.

It left no place for amusement this time. She heard what had happened from a watcher's perspective, from guards who had found the frozen Kursed, from Father's and Mother's and once even from a small boy, a tad older than Ásdís, but the gist of it all stayed the same.

A Frost Giant that enamoured with an Aesir child (let's just forget both are flesh and blood for a moment here), ready to strain itself to the point of utter exhaustion (she should have taken the Iron Man Express back into the Palace...) and trusted not only by the family in charge of raising said Giant, but by the Warriors who had never really hidden that there was no love lost between them?

Seemed legit, apparently.

It was infuriating.

What had Asgard come down to? Where was the fear, the loathing? How was Loki supposed to feel good for being her nasty self (that she honestly enjoyed far too much...) if she had no reason to _be_ her wicked and insulting self?

And why in all the Realms had this not happened before? Where were all the Council Members who cried and screamed when she had changed her skin in front of them two years prior? Had it really been enough to show them one good deed in favour of her own daughter to change their whole opinion? Had _no-one_ heard him promise Algrim the Universe if he gave back her child?

Oh _Norns_ , what if this newfound acceptance was not only directed at him, but at the Frost Giants in general? Loki had been there, and had seen them, had even tried living with them – they _were_ the Beasts Asgard painted them, brutish and coarse, even more combative and bellicose than the average Aesir, and after taking the Casket and practically condemning the whole Realm of Jotunheim to starvation and stagnation, they would make sure to overrun Asgard first chance they would get.

And that was not even considering what _Loki_ had done to them in her misbegotten attempt to erase all traces of her heritage by destroying the whole planet.

_ What the hell had happened?! _

Eir had forced both Jane and her out into the gardens, and because Loki apparently was not strong enough to walk the whole way into her Mother's private garden, they had been ushered out to the greens that were used by the whole City, and conveniently so much closer to her quarters.

“Man, you're a sourpuss today.”, Jane said and leaned back against a tree, a book in her lap, a basket with fruits and sweets to her feet.

“Haven't you heard? I'm sure Thor told you.”, she grumbled and plucked out the grass under her fingers.

“It's certainly better than the other extreme, isn't it?”, she replied and showed her the page. “How do I read that?”

“It's 'Ár' – year, or harvest, if you want. That one is tricky, as we've lost the 'j' that came in front of Ár, thus making it jára before. Always check the date of the books to know how to read that one. It's a 'j' in older books, in the more modern scripts you'd like to read it as 'á'.”

Jane groaned. “You're kidding me.”

“You'll have a lot of time to learn. It is in fact not that complicated, once you've got the knack.”, Loki reassured her, still picking grass and throwing it around.

“What's the matter with you and the public opinion just now? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, relieved or something like that?”, the scientist wanted to know and reached out to get herself a honeyed berry.

“Actually, I am not sure I am able to handle a well-meaning Asgard. No way in hell they just accept a Jotun in their midst, as their Prince, without batting a lid. They have certainly acted too horrified by the mere idea of me being one than to be perfectly okay with it now.”, the sorceress said. “And after seeing what exactly I am capable of to boost. I know I would not be comfortable with someone like me in the City.”

“You have probably saved the whole town with your icing over the streets.”

Loki shrugged. “Rescuing the Aesir has never brought me much affection, they were always more afraid of me than grateful.”

“Ah, I see now. It smells a little funky.”

“Exactly.”

Silenced for the time being, they spent some minutes quietly reading, Jane in her book (Loki had made sure it was easy to follow, some asgardian children's stories), the Trickster buried in a thick tome regarding magical history and artefacts.

Four pairs of feet made their way over to them, children for sure, but they were shy and did not exactly dare come closer. Looking up, Loki saw three boys, eight to twelve years, and a girl behind them, hiding with reddened cheeks.

“You're the Smith's boys. And the Baker's daughter.”, she said, a light smile on her lips as Jane turned to her with a surprised gaze, the children's eyes widening.

“Prince Loki?”

“You know them?”

“My forge is situated across their shops, I've spent more than one day with them at the window, sneaking a peek. My, you have grown.”, she smirked and winked at the children, who promptly turned as red as the girl already was. “No need to be so shy. You've surely heard that I can turn myself into a woman. What's on your mind?”

They fidgeted for some moments.

“We've heard a rumour.”, one of the boys said, looking at Jane. “Father said that you are to give Prince Thor an heir. Is it true?”

She sighed and turned to Loki.

“Are you sure that there's no WiFi here? News surely spread as fast as on Earth.”

The god chuckled and waved the kids nearer, offering them some of the sweets.

“Don't tell your parents. It's almost noon, there's bound to be lunch sometime soon, but there's nothing better than dessert before the main course.”, she said and helped herself to some berries as well.

“I'm starting to see why you're called God of Mischief.”, Jane stated drily when the kids hesitantly grabbed some sweets. “Oh, please help us with the stuff, I'm going to be ill if I have to eat it all myself.”

Apparently when Thor's wife asked, it was more than okay to tuck in. Loki could not hide a snicker.

“Yes, it's true.”, the petite brunette then said, and four little heads snapped up. She smiled lopsidedly and shrugged. “Is this a big deal?”

“Of course, Lady Jane! The child will be an heir to the throne!”, the girl said with importance in her voice. “The whole Realm has waited a long time for something like that to happen.”

“And that was certainly what your Mother has said to you, hm?”, Loki smirked amused, popping another berry in her mouth. “I think you're a bit young to know how long Asgard has waited, even if you're correct.”

“Mother said it's a blessing for the Realm.”, she intoned shyly. “And she said that you should bring your daughter more often.”

“Our Mother said the same.”, probably the oldest boy said. “Why are you here so rarely? It's boring.”

“You just say that because I relieved you of the duties your Father set you to.”

“At least with you we learned more than just fetching water and coals.”

“We have seen the little Princess with Prince Thor this morning.”, the youngest boy hastily put in. “Will she be sad that she is not going to be Queen someday?”

While Jane looked utterly baffled, the sorceress shook her head with a laugh and crossed her legs.

“Ásdís knows not of her current position. She has had barely time to get used to the idea of being a Princess. She is not three years of age, I will let her grow up as normal as possible with being raised in two Realms.”

Popping her spine, Loki noticed how attentive the children looked at them, alternating between Jane and herself, eyes wandering over their frames as in search of something. The oldest boy cleared his throat, creating the impression of being a bit uncomfortable.

“They spoke about her brother. Is it... are you...”

Loki chuckled softly.

“Am I with child again, you mean?”

He nodded, torn between being embarrassed and just openly showing his curiosity. The girl scrambled forward so she could see better, being the smallest of them all.

It seemed her own offspring had ratted her out, as Thor's had been the main news for the greater part of the day.

“Ooh, now you're looking as if I'd be going to eat you.”

“You wouldn't!”, the last of the three boys exclaimed with wide eyes. “Father told us not to be afraid of you.”

“I heard especially little boys shall be quite tasty.”, she grinned, making the boy squeak. His older brother rolled his eyes. Jane swatted her arm.

“Stop it. Don't scare them.”

“Aw, Jane, it's a joke. I used to shoo them out of my forge like that when they wouldn't go.”

“You always worked late!”, the oldest grumbled. “Please, just tell us. Has the Princess spoken the truth?”

Loki grinned wider.

“I'll tell you under one condition.”, she demanded, and all four children nodded earnestly and with the most serious faces.

“Perfect. When we return, and our girth will put Volstagg to shame, you'll tell them that I actually did eat a child.”

Jane swatted her again. “No! Stop with these antics, just as they're beginning to like you!”

“So it's true then!”, the girl squealed, and Loki laughed heartily.

“Yes, I am with child as well. Ásdís wishes for a brother, and she is adamant in this wish. We'll have to wait a bit until we know for sure.”

“You have to visit soon with the babe.”, the youngest said. The older brother nodded eagerly.

“Yes, we want to see it!”

“We have not seen the Princess until now.”, the oldest added. “Father said she was a tiny thing when Prince Thor ordered her an armour.”

“Mother was furious that he did not call her.”, the youngest piped, and it made Loki chuckle again.

“She was not very small, but a bit on the delicate side. Tell you what, as soon as this one is born, I will show them to you.”

Enthusiastic nodding answered her, and the kids hastily sprang to their feet when the bells announced noon.

“Shall we keep it a secret?”, the oldest asked.

“Seeing as my daughter already spilled the beans I do not think it will stay a secret that long. You may tell it.”

The boys ran off after that, and the girl looked in debate with herself for a second, before quickly hugging the still sitting Loki tightly.

“You have saved my Father yesterday. Thank you. I don't care if you're not looking like you now are all the time, you're the bravest warrior I know.”, she whispered, kissed her cheek, and, with a final squeeze left when one of the boys called for her.

Jane had the gall to snicker at Loki's nonplussed stare.

 

 

“I will send Eir should your pains persist.”, Frigga threatened when they made to leave for Midgard again. “Anthony has promised to keep us informed about your well-being.”

“You traitor.”, Loki snarked at her husband, who looked utterly unfazed by the epithet, but rather smug. “And you're not even sorry.”

“Hey, I use everything to blackmail you into bed.”, he said, and then a grin blossomed on his face. “And that double entendre just made my day a bit brighter.”

“Ew.”, Jane said and wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

“Oh come on, you secretly love it.”

“Take care of yourself.”, Odin asked of them, and with that they were gone, sucked into the wormhole the Bifröst opened, spitting them out on Tony's landing pad. Loki groaned softly.

“Okay, bed, I get it. Or couch. Couch sounds good. Couch is not so far away.”

“This seriously is hard on you, isn't it?”, Jane asked and opened the doors, Tony sweeping her into his arms to take off the strain.

“I have been in constant sensations close to pain for the last three days, that is so unusual for me that I think I need to take it even slower than I anticipated.”, she whined. “I... was perhaps closer to a miscarriage than I thought.”

“All right, that definitely calls for Bruce and an estimated time for you to remain in bed.”, her husband stated and had Jarvis tell the rest they were home again and they needed Team-Bonding right now.

“I'm taking up permanent residence here.”, Loki decided and cuddled into the cushions. “As of now this is my spot, and I will not get up ever again.”

“The thing is not that comfortable, Sheldon.”

“Oh yes it is.”, the god chirped, piling up pillows to support her back in whatever position she would find herself in. Ásdís watched with childish curiosity and fetched more pillows when her Mama had used all she could reach without actually moving.

“I'll build a pillow fortress. We have enough for sure. Munchkin, do you want to build a pillow fortress with Mama?”

It took them less than two minutes to bury themselves under whatever cushion they could find and giggle like they were totally out of the world.

And hey, what did they know, they probably were.

“So, who gets to let the cat out of the bag first? Loki would surely call dibs if she was not high on pillows just about now, what with her own bag of cats and all, and it seems she could seriously need to let loose at least one right now.”

“I heard that!”, she called from under her 'fortress', and Ásdís' laughter sounded right after, all muffled through layers of fabric.

“Good, Sweetie, let me know when you're feeling normal again!”

The elevator pinged, and sure enough all other Avengers entered, greeting them and immediately sitting down on the couch as well.

“Hi to you, too, Cookie Monster buried under pillows.”, Clint said, and Loki managed to stick out a hand and wave at him.

“Is he high?”, Nat asked, torn between frowning and laughing. Bruce watched it all with his usual stoicism, sighing deeply.

“I don't know what she's up to. Ignore it, it's probably some kind of crazy building up.”

“So, Team-Bonding, huh? What happened?”, Clint got to the point, and Thor began to describe the events, just to be interrupted by his sister while explaining how the Elves got into the palace.

Carefully removing the pillows, she nodded to Tony.

“Tuck her in, please?”

“Sure.”, he said, kissed her forehead and took the sleeping girl out of the room. When he returned, Loki had vanished again under the cushions and Thor had finished his tale.

“Okay, now it's getting absurd, Lokes. You know I'm all for absurd and ridiculous, but right now you're freaking me out a bit.”, Tony said and settled down at her feet, moving them into his lap and gently massaging the cold appendages. “And we need to get you Hot Socks.”

There was some muffled mumbling, and the feet were pressed into warm hands, but nothing more moved under the pillows. Sighing, the engineer opted to give her some more minutes with whatever she was hatching right now.

“Doom was around.”, Steve brought them up to date. “He attacked with some Bots, and as soon as we arrived turned around and vanished without so much as looking at us.”

“Strange.”, Jane said with a small frown. “This would have been the chance to show his superiority, with Thor, Tony and Loki gone...”

“That's what we don't understand as well.”

Loki's feet stilled (having wriggled sometimes when Tony stroked a ticklish spot), and she seemed to sink further into the Couch.

“Anything else? What has the resident Dwarf so freaked?”, Clint wanted to know and threw a curious glance to the other end of the seating area.

“You mean besides the point that her daughter almost was abducted and threatened to play host for the same thing that almost killed her?”

“Dammit, Banner, that's not what I meant. Look, we're living with her for almost eight years now, and I've never seen her like that. There's more, and I want to know what.”

Jane shot Thor a look – not inconspicuous at all, and all eyes wandered to them when the big blonde's face changed into a mask of love and adoration towards his wife who went red like a cherry in under a second.

“I am... um, a bit pregnant.”, she muttered.

Before anyone said a word, Clint handed Natasha a bill, who pocketed it with a small smile.

“I'll fill the typical woman role, then. How far along? When's the due date? Boy or Girl? How're you going to call it? And, Jane, you're glowing!”, she said with a smile, earning chuckles from all of them.

“Eir – the chief physician, so to speak – said I'm six to seven weeks along, so nothing in regards of gender yet.”, Jane smiled, and Thor looked like the epitome of rapture sitting besides her, one arm slung around her middle.

“Oh gods, more proud parents. I'm leaving for Tahiti.”, Clint groaned.

“Don't act as if you don't love this whole domesticity around here. You're totally in love with Dizzy.”

He growled a bit to the russian spy, but did not say another word.

“I assume you want me to monitor the pregnancy?”, Bruce asked. “When exactly did I become a M.D.?”

“Around the time you helped my daughter be born?”

“Ah, I see.”

“Bruce.”, a muffled voice said, and finally Loki peeled herself from beneath the pillows, sitting up, but looking utterly wrecked, shocking the whole group into silence. “Bruce, swear on your life that you will never leave Ásdís alone.”

“Um, okay? I swear?”

“What's going on, Bambi?”, Tony asked softly, shuffling nearer when he noticed the silent sobs that shook the lithe body of his wife.

“I need to know her protected. I need to know she's safe. I cannot let that happen again.”, she whispered, eyes unfocused and gazing into nowhere while leaning against the backrest, legs cocked up, all but curled into herself.

“Of course, and we won't. We'll keep any harm away from her. You did perfect, and you'll do it again if need be.”

“I can't. Tony, I... I _can't_. I cannot fight any more, I just... I haven't worked any magic for two days because I'm scared shitless of the consequences.”

If possible, Loki curled into herself even more, arms wrapped around her middle, and such vulnerability in her stance that made her husband look as lost as she was.

“Everything's fine, Loki. Dizzy is fine, she has not even nightmares, she's as strong as you are. Calm down.”

“What if he gets her again? What shall I do? I cannot shift, I don't dare to, what if I lose it?”

Bruce sighed. “You should really wait with another one.”

A choked sob, a bitter laugh. “It's too late for _waiting_.”

“What's happening?”, Steve breathed softly as to not disturb the panicking woman. Thor frowned and sighed.

“She's with child again. And the fight Algrim forced her through had impact on the baby.”

“Breathe, Lokes. Everything's going to be fine.”

“I can't fight again, I'd need too much magic, and I'd need the male body, I'd kill it. I can't. But when I don't fight him when he has her? What do I do? Swear to me you'll protect her.”, she asked, erratically looking to all of them.

“Hush now. Calm down, breathe.”, Tony said and pulled her into a tight embrace, stroking her hair in gentle motions to soothe her.

“Why should Algrim take her again? I don't understand why he wanted her.”

Despite being still on the verge of a panic attack and simultaneous sobbing, Loki forced out a chuckle and smiled proudly.

“She's so gifted, Tony, she'll be able to do things none of us can imagine.”

Then her face became a mask again, fear showing in her eyes and the grip she had on her own clothing tightened.

“She is able to open the old pathways whenever and wherever she wants. She bends them to her will, that's how she vanished that damned evening she met Hulk for the first time. It's like opening a portal, I've seen her do it two weeks ago, she showed me. She just rips apart the fabric of space and goes wherever she wants to go, be it on Midgard or on another Realm.”

A stuttering breath was caught in her throat as Loki tried to breathe deeper and more calm, arms not leaving her belly, knees almost to her chin.

“Algrim has somehow come to know of this. Perhaps she wanted to escape and he saw. Whatever it was, he knows, and he knows that her ability will make it redundant to wait for the next convergence. With her, the Aether's might can be maximized _any time he wants_.”

It was a horrible vision. Not only that there was a means for the Elves to do exactly what they wanted as soon as they could get their hands on the child, no, but the mere notion of _his child being the one they would search for_.

What would Algrim do to Ásdís? No, he would not think about this. Tony would just make sure that it would never happen.

“Algrim will come for her, and I cannot stand between them. I cannot exchange one child for the other. I cannot.”

“Then we'll make sure you don't have to.”, Steve said, his voice strong and full of confidence neither Loki nor Tony felt at that moment. “Bruce and Clint will stay with Dizzy, Thor and Natasha will stay with Jane. Tony and me will make sure that you're all right.”

“Neither of us will be alone as long as that threat exists.”, Natasha added, and Thor nodded solemnly.

“If I ask, I am sure Sif and the Warriors will help us out as well.”

“Nothing threatens our family without getting into serious shit, Dwarf. You should know that by now.”

Finally, the sorceress calmed down, reassured by the raw force that would protect her loved ones and relaxed into Tony's arms.

“Thank you.”, she whispered. “It's not for long. I'll be able to get back to Algrim as soon as this one's born, and by then I hope to have a means to end his life once and for all.”

“Hush, Girl, we're not going to sit back once you've popped out another Stark. We're in this together.”, Natasha said.

Bruce sighed, deep and a little pained as he stood up and walked over.

“I assume you're already proficiently warned about straining yourself too much?”, he asked, and Loki nodded meekly. “Good. You should be careful about any impending panic attacks like that one you just had. It's stress, not only for you, but especially for an unborn. Try to breathe through it. Do you know Yoga?”

“No, but I am well-versed with meditation. It will not happen again.”

“Perfect. Tell me when it hurts.”, he said and started to dig his fingers and hands into her sides and belly until she jerked and winced.

“What happened to that high pain tolerance that made you drink tea with me while being in labour?”

“I thought it better to actually listen to my body this time.”

“Well, it seems you're capable of learning.”

“Jerk.”

“Hulk.”, Bruce retorted with a smirk, and Loki actually breathed out a laugh when he withdrew.

“Three weeks at the least. Your womb is too tense, it can't unfold like it should and practically compresses any blood vessels the baby's building right now. No wonder you're hurting. Keep lying down to not put any pressure on your abdomen, no lifting anything at all, not even a milk carton, and the only time you're allowed to walk is to the loo and back.”

“Well, that means Tony will be my personal servant for the time being.”, she grinned, and even if she had red-rendered eyes from a lot of silent crying that had happened while buried under pillows, and her hair looked like something had nested in it, Tony thought she was still the most beautiful woman in whatever World he would visit.

“Now that I have to get out of your sweet little head at once, Rock of Ages. But I could be persuaded to reprogram Dummy, if you're nice.”

“That is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me.”

“If you keep that up, I'll have to puke.”, Clint groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does that last part make any sense? I hope so.  
> Guys, you constantly amaze me with your comments and all that love. It's really overwhelming and I adore you. :D  
> A bit of fluff ahead, as always, and drama will chase it.  
> Oh, and wasn't there some other Guy that made a ruckus now and then? ;)
> 
> PS: Hot Socks are a thing made in Heaven. You're suffering from constant cold feet? They're the answer.


	17. Spicing things up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling Pepper is fun :3

 

 

“What the hell is going on here?”, Pepper asked incredulous when she entered an hour later to what only could be described as a pajama-party of gargantuan dimensions, all Avengers settled on or in front of the couch in their most comfortable clothing (and that made for a really strange picture), watching a movie together while stuffing themselves with Pizza and sweets.

“Hi Pep!”, they chorused.

It was a bit like twilight zone.

“Make yourself comfy, I'm sure Loki's clothes will fit you just as well, and join us!”, Tony told her, wrapped around his wife who was still nestled in her mountain of pillows and cushions, now with the added comfort of blankets.

“Why on earth are both Jane and Loki crying because of _Tangled_?”

“They just arrived on the boat, hush now. It's an emotional moment.”

Closing her eyes and taking a very deep breath, Pepper placed the stack of papers she had carried onto the bar and joined the crazy band of superheroes on the couch, immediately being assaulted by hands that thrust Pizza into her own.

Steve took pity on the snivelling women and handed them a pack of tissues before actually doing the best thing ever and fetch them a jar of ice cream each.

“Cap, you are perfect boyfriend material, has anyone ever told you?”, Loki snuffled, and Jane nodded emphatically. “We'll get you a girl if you keep us fed.”

“Thank you very much, but I think you're a bit hormonal at the moment.”

Pepper shook her head and tried to make the connection. Was it their time of the month? Or was it something else? Whatever had happened, Tony was sure to be in the middle of it all. He always was.

So she settled on watching both her ex-boss and the ex-villain like a hawk (oh really, there were too many strange names floating around), occasionally glancing to Jane and Thor, who looked as equally cuddly as the other two.

When first Jane and a few minutes later Loki rubber their bellies in what only could be a not conscious motion, she groaned and buried her head in her hands.

“You've gone and done it again!”, she whined. And then she noticed what exactly she had said. Her head went up again, and she absolutely had to laugh when she caught sight of Tony's and Loki's perfectly smug faces.

“Oh my God, you've done it again!”, she cried out before looking at the second couple. “And you, too!”

Kicking off her heels, she climbed over and pulled Tony and Loki into a tight embrace while giggling happily and getting the same reaction back from the two in her arms.

“Can I, Loki? Pretty Please? With sugar and chocolate sprinkles?”

The sorceress laughed and nodded, so Tony pushed Pepper away a bit and held her at arm's length before clearing his throat and grinning brightly.

“Our Ladies are with child.”, he intoned with a voice that practically screamed 'I'm important, hear me!' and made the whole room shake with laughter.

“Tony, oh my God, that is terrific!”

“I know! It is, isn't it? I'm going to be a Daddy again!”, he beamed. Loki grinned and procured the billionaire's wallet (what did not even rouse a look from him), handing the CEO a fifty Dollar note.

“I take it they did not know or anticipate?” the redhead grinned and nodded to Jane and Thor, making the god laugh.

“Oh Norns, no. It was hilarious.”

“And that reminds me. Hand back that bill, Tasha.”, Clint snickered.

“Why? You said they were actively trying, and I haven't heard that one confirmed yet.”, the other redhead smirked. “Tell us, Starks.”

“Give him back his money.”, Tony said with a grin. “We were on it since November.”

“Ha! I _knew_ it! You were so lovey-dovey with each other, it was practically honeymoon all over.”, the archer said.

“There's no way for any accidents any more – either we try and I am conscious about every shift from female to male I do or I just don't give anything a chance and shift completely. Ásdís probably just happened because I did not shift soon enough and she had time to settle.”

“So, next bet's on the gender, then?”, Bruce asked with a smile.

“Boy and Girl respectively, no guess who gets what.”, Steve said and fished for his money, while Natasha opted for two boys. Clint rooted for two girls, and Bruce granted Loki the boy and Jane a girl.

“Seriously, this is obsessive behaviour.”, the astrophysicist said with a raised eyebrow. “You're betting on everything.”

“Just to spice things up. Um... I get a nephew, and Thor gets another niece.”, Loki said. Tony threw her an incredulous look.

“No way! We get the boy and they the girl.”

“You just say that because Bruce said that, and I know you have a serious man-crush on him.”

“Have not! Okay, maybe. A bit. A big bit. Bruce is hot.”

Loki snickered when said man groaned and shook his head.

“I'm with Natasha in this!”, Pepper called.

“My Jane will give me a boy.”, Thor stated with faith, making said wife roll her eyes. “And I don't care if it will be niece or nephew, either will be loved like my own.”

“Okay, Jarvis, throw up a basic algorithm to fit this all in, would you?”

“Of course, Sir. Shall I display the stakes and their respective winnings?”

“Knock yourself out, buddy!”

 

 

April rolled around, and Loki was released from the bed with the serious warning to not overdo it and use as little magic as possible. She had not once shifted back to male or had made her seiðr do more than tell her about her new child.

The tugging sensation had thankfully vanished a week after they had come home again, receding the longer she did not do anything at all, while being pampered like never before by whomever was in the vicinity. Jane had joined her most of the time, at the verge of freaking out because of the fact that she really was about to become a Mum, and just slowly getting used to the idea.

Of course, she had never thought about getting rid of it, not only because Thor would never forgive her but rather that she would not kill an innocent being when she knew exactly that there would be enough help for her if she would feel overwhelmed. She just had to come to terms with it – she was getting there.

Loki's own fears had abated for the time being. They had worked out a timetable so neither Ásdís, Jane or herself were ever alone, at least one of the Avengers around them all the time while Bruce and Tony worked on getting Jarvis up to date with sensors that could detect energy fluctuation like hidden ships and Infinity Stones miles away. The soul Stone had given off enough energy to be clearly visible for the AI even states away, and the Aether would be equally prominent.

Needless to say, the Helicarrier had lost its stealth not long after.

Useful as they were for Midgard, though, they were utterly redundant for Asgard, as Heimdall would sense the Elves as soon as the devices, thus obviating the need.

The sorceress had felt like being thrown into the Void again after speaking out loud how close she had gotten to actually losing this child conceived with intent, with love and want and desire, sending her into a panic attack she had not experienced in years.

Her brain had toppled over with thoughts as what that would mean, like not being able to protect Ásdís to the full extent of her capabilities because of this little firefly inside her, because Loki would not stop lashing out and giving all she had for her girl if in danger. It would mean for her to become him again, and when _he_ would have need to fight against Algrim, there would be no way around using even the last spark of magic. And she could not risk that.

It would terminate the pregnancy. The male body was not able to sustain the baby on its own, lacking the proper muscles and hormones, seeing as the womb was not exactly linked to  _his_ body. That's why the magic always had made itself known with headaches as soon as it felt Loki used up too much.

Five minutes without magic, and the babe would die within his body.

Fighting Algrim for the sake of Ásdís would entail giving up this new life they created.

It was like deciding which child she loved more, and that terrified her. No parent should ever have to make such a decision.

And Algrim would definitely come for the girl again. Jane had confirmed her theory, that Ásdís had wanted to escape with her Aunt and Grandmother, ripping open a hole in the air, and Algrim had seen, had seen the potential in this act, and had changed all of his plans. Kidnapping her had replaced killing both girls and the Queen.

So, whenever she had five seconds to think, Loki brooded over how to shield her daughter from that blasted Creature, to get him off her scent, to  _protect_ her without the actual need to step into crossfire.

And how to finally rid the Worlds of him.

But right now she relished in the feelings her unborn radiated and filled her veins with, the soft warmth and magnificent trust that had her smiling like a loon.

It was addicting, and coupled with the small body of her daughter snuggled to her side while taking a quick afternoon nap it felt like the proverbial heaven people all over the world searched for.

Steve currently sat in a chair opposite of the two, drawing pad on his knees and tongue stuck between his lips in concentration as he sketched.

“I've never answered your question.”, she then said, and the blonde looked up with a frown.

“Which question?”

“If you could draw me in the Jotun skin.”

A chuckle escaped her when he swallowed drily and with downright hunger in his eyes. It was adorable.

“If you still want to, that is.”, Loki added, but Steve already nodded, the tips of his ears turning a soft shade of pink.

“I would love to! I have never had a model like that.”

She smiled softly at him and closed her eyes, leaning back her head when #2 let out an especially loving emotion, fuelled by her own happiness.

Norns, and Yggdrasil, and whomever should listen, she thought, please let nothing happen to them. Don't take them away from me.

 

 

Doom came to visit them in May twice.

Once just like the time before, a short attack, retreating as soon as the Avengers appeared. Thor had stayed at the Tower, and Hulk had been told to get home as fast as he could if the big blonde would call for a storm.

Nothing happened, and there wasn't even property damage to clean up.

Something was definitely rotten in the State of Denmark. Loki still burned to know what exactly that was, but was confined to the video-feed Jarvis could deliver, just as it had been before. She had spotted Doom again, hiding under some badly crafted spell that hurt his eyes just looking at in pain for all the hard-working sorcerers that had actually had a hard time achieving something at all.

His influence had not gotten stronger, but it was a small comfort when the team would come back the next time looking like they had met with a horde of bilgesnipe.

It was all the more surprising then, when Doom attacked the second time (this time Clint and Natasha staying behind) and almost destroyed Harlem. Again, as Bruce told them after, nursing a bump on Tony's head and sanitizing cuts and bruises all over the others.

“It's a mage. Victor may have been controlling the Bots, but behind all this must be a mage.”, Loki said to them. “I've scouted the area, and my seiðr picked up two different energies. It's like a fingerprint, fine shades of... wavelengths, colours almost, and no two mages or sorcerers have the same signature. Sadly, I am too far away to actually distinguish which belongs to whom and if I could perhaps identify the mysterious Wizard.”

“Why does Doom always watch, but never do anything himself?”, Tony snarked and leaned against Loki, who smirked.

“He's not that powerful, and he knows it. His forte remains being his tech, and someone has merged their magic with that. So he watches, and tweaks it until he can best you.”

“Why don't we do that? You're more awesome than he is, and whoever works with him.”

“Perhaps later.”

“They singled out Thor.”, Bruce said with his usual calm and soft voice, still plucking shards from wounds and making Clint hiss because of the burning antiseptic.

“Aye. Before I knew, they had me brought to a place some distance off.”

Loki frowned. “Then they vanished before because Thor had not been present?”

Could this be? Was there an enemy set on hurting his brother, but ignoring the others if they would not get in the way? He groaned and sank down on the cushions, lips pursed and eyes scrunched shut.

“I'm sick and tired of sitting around like a hen on her eggs.”

“Yeah, um, no. You're not coming, you're not even invited, Cupcake.”

Loki glared at him without moving a single muscle, but his husband smiled merrily and pressed a wet kiss onto his temple before swinging one arm around the Trickster's shoulders and pulling him close.

“Don't be a grouch, it's just until the Bug's arrived.”

“I cannot help you unless I get closer to Doom or the Bots. The mage is bound to be strong, more than the average sorcerer, and perhaps I can identify her or him.”

“Then why don't we let Thor act as bait? He could get them here, and you could try to find out whatever you can.”, Steve suggested.

That could actually work.

“You'll explain that to Jane.”

 

 

After getting in touch with Eir through the Two-Way-Mirror, Bruce had authorized that Loki could experiment with the Soul Stone to distinguish what exactly made it recoil. Under rigorous watch, that goes without saying.

Jane and Tony had volunteered to help out, and the four of them had made an extensive list of things to consider and what to test.

Loki was prodded and pricked, hair was cut off, Tony even made a sample out of his nail clippings.

As long as Loki himself stayed away, the Stone did nothing at all. One step too close, and its volatile reaction became almost palpable.

“What about the magic?”, Bruce asked after storing away what was left of Loki's blood, cobalt-blue again.

“Shall we test it?”

They did. Whatever Loki enchanted to hold a seed of his magical energy, though, had no effect whatsoever. It was as frustrating as working with the apples had been.

“So, have we got any other samples you could shed?”

“Not that I'm aware of.”

Tony stopped twirling a screwdriver between his fingers for a moment to stare off into nothing.

“How about Jotun-Loki?”, he asked, and his face was so serious that none of the other three wanted to doubt his idea, and the Trickster let out his other skin.

“Aside from the fact that this is still the very same me, and the Bug is horribly sensitive to the cold, what makes you think that this could work?”

He made a small step towards the green Crystal nonetheless. Nothing happened.

Absolutely nothing happened, not even when Loki stood in front of the table and his hand hovered over the Stone as if to touch it.

“That was unexpected.”, the god chuckled wryly, and his husband was grinning in delight and the silent praise that boosted his ego.

“Change back, or you'll give #2 frostbite.”, he smirked. “I've never seen you like that around a Stone before, I just wanted to rule it out. So, we still don't know what makes you so utterly unattractive to them, but...”

“...at least I will be able to ban the Aether myself.”

It was progress. Jane rubbed her belly with a smile and a sly glint in her eyes.

“Just to satisfy my curiosity... have you thought about your Clones?”

Loki's eyes lightened up.

“I knew there was a reason I let Thor keep you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...it's a bit slow at the moment, isn't it?  
>  Damn, I want to go on so badly.  
> ...on the other side, there will be a major, major turn of events soon. Stay tuned <3


	18. Jealousy, you bitter sting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki hijacks Jane for a shopping trip, and finally the Doom-fiasco escalates.

 

 

The Clones, it turned out, were as efficient as the real Loki – as long as they were the luxury edition, i.e. touchable, non-vanishing and more like a twin than a magical copy.

“Well, that means I will have to practice. A lot.”, the sorcerer sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose while shifting back to his female self, an unconscious move she had adapted whenever she used more of her magic than necessary to heat water (what was child's play), for example, effectively spending more time as woman than as man, just to soothe the Firefly.

“Why? I thought you could operate a few of them at the same time.”, Jane asked while searching the fridge, huffing and closing it again and opening the freezer, snatching two tubs of ice cream and giving one to the god. Loki groaned in delight and made quick work of the lid, and both women had devoured a good part of the frozen treat within minutes.

“One is no problem at all, two are a bit confusing, and three are the absolute maximum if I want to actually _do_ something more than just stand in the way. I will definitely have to practice if I want to have perfect control.”

“Promise me to watch out for yourself, Bambi. No excessive training exercises.”

The brunette smirked and licked her spoon clear of the ice cream with relish.

“Pinky Swear, Darling.”, she snickered. It had become her favourite thing to say every time Tony wanted her to promise something.

He eyed her doubtfully, as if she would pop out a crazy idea right about now, before stealing her spoon and scooping out some ice cream, not without loud protest from his wife.

“You have to explain to me why Stark jr. hates you being Jotun but you can obviously eat gallons of that stuff without any signs of discomfort.”

“Perhaps it's the fact that I am significantly colder even from within when Jotun, I guess it's a difference of almost thirty degrees Celsius.”, she said with just the barest hint of 'you utter dimwit' in her voice. “Or it just likes ice cream as much as I do. Now gimme back my spoon or I swear I will use it to carve your balls from your body.”

“Nah, you wouldn't do that, you still need them.”

 

 

“If we get mauled by Paparazzi, I'll hold you responsible.”, Jane growled when Loki hauled her out of the Tower to go shopping in late June.

“Aw, come on, Bruce's coming, too, and Steve, we'll be fine.”

“I don't think you mean the same 'fine' as I do.”

“Boys, get going! Ásdís, are you ready?”

“Yes, Mama!”, she exclaimed and finished adjusting the Velcro with her tongue sticking out in concentration.

“Where are we going, by the way?”

Loki grinned and slipped on her shades while stepping into the elevator, her daughter pressed against her legs, clutching her hand tightly.

“Oh, I thought 5th and Madison Avenue?”, she said with an innocent blink of the eye, chuckling when all three adults in the vicinity gagged with surprise.

They should really have known better.

“And how do you think I will afford that? I'll sure as hell not even touch the credit card Thor has given me, I still don't think he knows what exactly these things do. How has he even got one? When exactly did he open a bank account? And besides, I'm poor as a church mouse even when I am not being compared to you.”

“You're a princess now, Darling, you're financially pretty stable. But well, then we'll have to pillage Tony's account. Don't worry, he'll never notice.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? I'll not let you buy my stuff.”

“Come on, it's for my nephew.”

“Or niece. And no.”

“Nephew. I'll do it either way.”

“Girls.”, Steve sighed annoyed. “Could you stop that and start walking?”

“Oh, right. Come on, Jane, it'll be fun. Don't look at the price, just _take_ what you want – just this once. I won't accept a 'no', and if I have to go back alone and buy whatever you have looked at. I'm good at finding out what people want.”

“I hate you.”

The astrophysicist was given a brilliant smile and before she knew it, they were on their way to the shopping mile. It really was convenient that Tony had built his Tower not five minutes away.

“So, darling, we need maternity clothes for you, because, honestly, you're five months along. That your trousers still fit is a small wonder in regards of that bump you sport.”

Jane grunted in dismay and rolled her eyes.

“What did you expect? Thor is a hulk.”

Bruce discreetly coughed from his place behind them. She shrugged.

“Don't you dare object, Banner, you won't have to squeeze out ten pounds of half-asgardian God of Thunder.”

“You're exaggerating, Jane.”

“I'm already at the point of bursting.”, she whined, just before Loki could push her into the first shop, effectively silencing her with clothes and the threat to buy whatever her eyes would linger on if she would make a fuss now.

“Go change, and don't you dare look at the tags!”, she growled in mock irritation, and the petite brunette sighed in defeat, vanishing into the fitting room and did what she was told to do.

“Have you informed Pepper of this trip?”, Steve asked and sat down, as well as Bruce, who was used as a cuddly pillow no two seconds after by the little girl that adored him.

“Of course I have, I am fond of my life. She was so disappointed that she couldn't make it.”

While Jane changed, Loki had already browsed through the whole shop, picking whatever found her liking and carrying it back to her sister-in-law, who groaned and cursed her.

In the end, the sorceress decided to get her two pairs of the stretchy trousers and some tops that would highlight the baby bump deliciously, making the clerk a very happy guy indeed when she had him ring up Jane's clothes and some things she had found for herself.

The other woman almost fainted when he told Loki what she would have to pay.

“By the Nine, don't get your knickers in a twist, that's not even 700$. Get over this issue now or you'll have a seizure in no time at all.”

Ásdís practically forced them into a second shop when she spotted an adorable dress, and her mother was all for it.

“You spoil her too much.”, Bruce said once they were inside, both Starks fawning over the cute dresses, the female clerk already with dollar signs in her eyes.

“I'm unused to real shopping trips, I've never had the need! I've worn fitted and bespoken garbs far longer than you can imagine, and here most of what I wear is courtesy of Jarvis ordering it. Let me have my fun?”, the Trickster said and gave him her best puppy-dog-eyes, making him sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

“Munchkin, why don't you look for a second one? You have not nearly enough dresses, and with the rate you're growing, the few you have will not fit that much longer.”, she then proceeded to ask of her daughter, and the girl smiled happily and snatched Steve's hand, tugging him along. It made Jane snicker.

“Look at that, Captain America gets manhandled by a not even three year old.”

“They are all completely whipped.”, Loki affirmed. “Ah, and the first reporters have just arrived. I'm startled that they took so long.”

“Oh gods, we will end up on some tabloid, will we?”

“Presumably. Could be worse, though, it's just us shopping. Not that interesting.”

Bruce snorted and shook his head.

“You have both grown quite a belly, Loki, you've announced Dizzy looking a lot smaller than you do now.”

The woman in question tore open her eyes as wide as they could get, gripping at her chest and sucking in a loud and scandalized breath.

“Are you calling me fat? Jane, has he called me fat?”, she cried out, waiting for both of them to roll their eyes (and Steve, too, for that matter, who had been promoted to a consultant in her daughter's outfitting problems), and then smirking wide while patting her belly.

“We cannot remain scooped up for the rest of the time, plus there have been rumours floating around since the Memorial. I've been retweeting vague responses for weeks now. Let's get this over with already and have a nice day.”

“Oh, what the hell. Whatever.”

 

 

More Paparazzi followed them to the furniture store a while later, smelling the story that would unfold itself for them. Jane was a bit peeved, clearly still not used to such attention, while Loki ignored them and made her way over to the cribs, Ásdís hot on her heels and cooing at all the cute things.

“Mama, he can sleep in my bed if he wants.”, she said when her mother eyed the wooden bassinets critically. “I'll cuddle with him.”

“Aw, Sweetheart, that is really nice of you, but the baby will wake up all the time, and you would be so tired in the mornings. You can share a room if you want, when they're a bit older.”

The girl scrunched up her face. “It's still a boy, isn't it?”

Loki laughed.

“We have to take whatever we get, Dizzy. Surely you would love a girl just as much?”

The child frowned for a second, thinking this over, before slowly nodding.

“I think I could.”

Jane was having the hots for a beautiful set consisting of a crib and a changing table, made of ebony and polished to perfection, while Ásdís had her eyes on a deep brown-red crib crafted from Burmese Padauk.

Another clerk was made very happy, and Jane turned a blind eye to the sum Loki happily paid.

“I thought you still had Dizzy's crib. What happened to that one?”

“Oh, we donated it. Same thing with the changing table, we parted with that one shortly after her birthday last year. Neither of us thought we'd be needing it so soon again.”, Loki explained with a grin and told the salesman where to deliver the furniture, and then exiting the shop to join the two men and her daughter.

“So, what about something to eat? I'm starving. For two.”

 

 

It was a very fortunate thing they had brought Steve with them, seeing as the number of bags was raising steadily. Jane had wanted to protest again when Loki started holding trousers at her hips that were clearly too big as of now, and the green eyed woman had shrugged with the words “It's either now while you can decide for yourself or come back when you're barely able to walk at all.”

Needless to say, Jane had shut her mouth after that, clearly not comfortable with the notion to end up waddling like a walrus.

Tony congratulated them for getting in the evening news with a bright grin and a kiss to their cheeks, and Ásdís proudly presented her new dresses, making him coo at her and praise her beauty.

Two days later Doom came back, and he was not alone. The Avengers had barely left the Tower when a flood of Bots attacked them, Bruce staying behind to protect the girls, and not three minutes into the fight something crashed into Thor with such force that he was sent flying into a building.

Loki had never been so glad that Jane tended to stay with Ásdís in her room when something like that came up, as he had demanded the video feed again.

“Is there any reason as to why a tiny blond girl should be angry at your brother, Loki?”, Bruce asked as calm as ever, and the Trickster just let out a high-pitched whine when Jarvis hacked him a different CCTV and he had a clear sight on what had happened.

“This? Really? This is the reason for Doom's apparent growing might?”, he groaned and rubbed his head. “Jarvis, call Tony. There's a new guest.”

“Of course, Sir.”

The scientist on his couch threw him a calculated stare before his husband had answered.

“Hey there, Cupcake, I'm... thrusters, Jarv, good man!... I'm a bit busy right now.”

“Follow Thor. We have a little asgardian problem that is probably jealous three ways to hell.”

“Huh?”

Loki snorted and stuffed a pillow behind his back.

“It's my old tutor. Amora, she's called, and she has an undying crush on my brother. With the news of Jane's pregnancy I presume she's cracking up right about now.”

“You don't do things the easy way, am I right, Lokes?”

“Would be boring. Save him, please?”

Tony sighed loudly. “Will do my best, Rudolph.”

Cracking his fingers, Loki wriggled the digits in a curt motion and cut the energy that had made the Bots stronger. It had been easy once he knew what magic he had to counter, and Amora's magic was one he knew by heart.

And right on cue, Jarvis played him the audio to the video, hearing a screeching wail that just had to belong to the busty blonde.

“How could you? You have betrayed me! Me! Amora! I will not tolerate this, Thor, and I will kill her and that bastard she's having. If I cannot have you, no one will ever have you!”, she screamed and Loki almost rolled his eyes in annoyance. Such hackneyed words.

“Tony, you still there?”

“Yup.”

“Remember that KO-move Tasha taught you?”

“Don't tell me that works.”

Chuckling, the god rolled his shoulders to ease the kinks in his muscles.

“She's a bit susceptible to pressure points and the like. You should not have any problems. Is Thor okay?”

“Yeah, up and about, that one, oh wait, he just got hold of her and chokes... correction, that's no choke, she's just...”

“Thank you, I see. The issue has solved itself, I believe?”

The engineer chuckled.

“Think so. Hey, you know, she's the perfect example for the type I was hitting.”

“Don't you dare.”

More chuckles were heard, and the screen displayed Thor looking at the unconscious sorceress he had knocked out.

Loki sighed. Time to call for Heimdall and some guards.

 

 

Jane had been furious at the bitch for days. She even had slapped her with a force that sent Amora's head flying to the side when they waited for the Bifröst to open the way to get her back to Asgard, chained in the same magic suppressing shackles Loki had been forced to wear once before, too, and had hissed and snarked at the sorceress with a passion that made her friends chuckle and snicker.

“If I ever see you near _my husband_ or anyone else that I count as family ever again, I will make sure you will regret to see the day, and I will not even need magic or your strength to make you wish you never came back, and if I have to punch you to hell and back, I will.”

Bruce had threatened to dose her with morphine should she not calm down, and Jane had grudgingly accepted the herbal tea Steve handed her while being pushed down onto the couch by Clint.

Yeah, talk about teamwork.

A day after that, Huginn and Muninn appeared and told Loki that Amora had been sent to prison for some years, and that made their victory about her so much better.

Well, as long as there were no strange guards that let criminals on the loose. He huffed.

What followed was more press chasing them down and demanding answers about the new set of children that would make their entrance some months later, more pictures as soon as either Loki or Jane set foot outside the Tower, and a hilarious analysis as to when the kids would be awaited.

Being two weeks further along, and given the stature of Thor, Jane had considerably gained more weight and girth than Loki, thus being considered somewhere between six and six and a half months along, while the second-time-mother-to-be was estimated somewhere around five months.

Oh well, they were off about a month with Jane. They would see.

Tony had asked about the gender, but Loki did not want to spoil the surprise this time. He had smiled a secret smile and not answered besides “Well, telling would be unfair, else someone changes their guess.”

And if his husband wanted to know really bad, he would have made it clear one way or the other. His acceptance to the secret was all the answer Loki could have asked for. Tony _wanted_ to be surprised.

Steve had gotten a small birthday party, and while America celebrated its independence, the Avengers and friends celebrated the Captain that had almost given his life in the arctic.

Even Fury and Coulson had attended – it had been hysterical to watch Ásdís interact with both of them. While Coulson had been his usual calm self and had gotten on well with the child (especially considering their love for the birthday boy), Fury had been dubbed 'Patchy' in her sweet childish voice, and Tony had Jarvis change every single entry of his name to what his daughter had nicknamed him in under two hours.

They still laughed about that.

Ásdís turned three a fortnight later, and Pepper had outdone herself in organising a superb birthday party, complete with Cake, her favourite persons from Earth, and a few other children they knew she liked (sandpit friendships still were the best).

In late July, Loki and Thor proposed a visit to Asgard, a short one, just to satisfy their parents and the citizens that would love to sneak a peek at the mother-to-be of their Princess or Prince to-be-born.

The Avengers would accompany them, almost by default, to add to the security and safety Loki craved for his family.

He just hoped that this time, he would be able to protect his family if need be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much! I appreciate every comment and click :D


	19. Birthday Party Asgardian Style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ásdís is loved throughout the Realms, and it shows.

 

 

The first thing they saw when the telltale glow of the Bifröst had diminished were the Warriors Three and the Lady Sif waiting for them, horses at the ready, and grinning brightly when they lay their eyes on first Jane and then Loki.

“My, you surely are glowing.”, Fandral said with flourish, and the Trickster just barely refrained from turning his hair blue.

“No need to flatter, we know exactly how big we are.”, Jane huffed and rubbed her back to rid herself of the kinks in her muscles.

“Give us two or three weeks and we put Volstagg to shame with our girth.”, Loki added, frowning down on her belly and remedying her words immediately after. “Oh. We already do. Look at that.”

Laughter followed them out of the dome, and it was the first time that the green eyed god needed actual help when faced with the problem of mounting a steed with a baby sitting right under her stomach. The bump got in the way. Often.

Of course Jane was lifted up by the strong arms of her husband in a gentle gesture, but Loki would not ask Tony for help – he was neither as strong nor as tall as Thor, and her pleading gaze was met with a smirk.

“Oh no, Snowflake, I'll probably break the kid before I manage to get you on that horse.”

Ironically, Volstagg came to aid her and heaved her up into the saddle with a grunt.

“Lady Loki, I do not remember you to ever be this heavy.”

“Thank you very much for pointing that out.”, she pouted. “Has no one ever told you not to tell a woman she is fat?”

“Stop the bickering already, there's a bouncing three year old sitting in my lap and I can _feel_ both horse and kid getting twitchy.”, Clint said and tightened his grip around the grinning Ásdís. “Don't make me say that you _are_ putting on a lot of weight.”

Natasha hit him hard for that, and Loki threw her first a kiss and then a smirk.

“Thank you, Dear.”

“It's just calibration. Needs to be done once in a while.”

Snickering, they finally left the Rainbow bridge and made their way through the City. Ásdís was amazed as ever by everything, curiously asking about whatever had her interest first, and both Fandral and Sif answered her to the best of their abilities. It was a slow ride as neither Jane nor Loki felt overly fond of galloping right now, their centres shifted and squirming babies not making it any easier to remain in balance on the back of a horse.

While the human woman was regarded with warm smiles and a wave wherever they came across, the sorceress was getting very mixed signals from whomever they passed. Some turned away, from fear or anger she did neither know nor want to, some openly stared (...perhaps she should make an appearance as male here as well. It was bound to rouse some very interesting questions and looks), others nodded their head softly in acknowledgement of her titles and status.

It had Loki in a mostly good mood.

Until Thor stopped his horse and turned to a pair of broad-shouldered men (they practically screamed 'Warrior') with a glare and fury in his eyes.

“I will hear your words again, Haki.”, he growled softly, a dangerous tone that he had not displayed often before. Never against a fellow man at arms.

The guy practically broke out it cold sweat at the look he was given, but repeated what he had said, chin thrust out proudly.

Loki sighed.

“Clint, please proceed and get her settled in, this might get ugly.”, she bade, and with a quick kiss to Dizzy's forehead (and a very awkward angle the Trickster had to bend...), they were off with Sif and Fandral at their side.

Thor had dismounted his steed in the meantime, hand already hovering over Mjölnir.

“Leave it be, brother. Shall he call me an ergi, or that I'm argr, I do not care.”, she said with a smile, all steel and teeth and cold ice.

“He does not even deny!”, the other one cried out.

Loki laughed heartily.

“Oh, this is good. Have you been gone from your wives so long you do not recognize a woman when you see one?”, she asked and brought her horse over to her Brother.

“I never understood why being called womanly should be considered an insult, seeing as they are the reason men are able to survive at all. Ah, but perhaps that was because I always felt more like 'Loki' and less like 'male' or 'female', as I can choose what I want to be at any given moment.”

“Have you no honour?”, another men yelled out, standing across the street (far away from Thor), making the sorceress laugh again.

“Why in all the Nine Realms should I feel offended or dishonoured by being called what I am? Just _look_ , for once. I am currently no more male than Lady Jane, or the Queen.”

More strange looks followed. They did not understand.

“I have learned that being a woman is a highly rewarding status, and every man should be jealous to be denied the absolute wonder of growing a new life. In fact...”, Loki said as if in thought, with a smirk on her lips. “...I think I shall consider 'unmanly' and 'womanly' no insults, but compliments as of now.”

Some of the present women snickered softly. It had been overdue, the god thought.

“And before you start rumours of me being too soft – I will insist in battle should a man call me ergi or argr again, if just to prove I am well able to best another. Though it would be highly dishonourable to attack a woman who is with child, wouldn't it?”

Tony chuckled from somewhere behind her and somehow steered his horse to his wife.

“I think you have to explain these words to me, I've never heard them before.”

The smirk on Loki's face did not ease his grin.

“It means cowardly or womanly, as stated, insulting a man when others think he is not acting like a man should. Before you ask, yes, this also contains being bedded by another man. And just to be clear, the one doing the bedding is not considered unmanly, because, you know, he still _dominates_.”

The engineer groaned when they started to move again.

“Hypocrisy and sham, blended together perfectly. Hey, wasn't using magic regarded in the same fashion?”

“Yep. All the more reason to embrace that particular talent, is it not?”

“Absolutely, Cupcake.”

Loki rolled her eyes.

 

 

The palace was bursting with activity and life, reminding them all of a beehive in summer. There were conversations everywhere, hectic servants making haste, and a staggering amount of guards and Einherjers who watched practically every tiny little nook.

“I knew you know how to party, but this is crazy.”, Nat said when she caught sight of the tons of meat that were carried along to the kitchens.

“Mother has overdone it, you're right. Just imagine what she will do once she has three grandchildren to spoil.”, Loki said with a grin. “We can be happy Dizzy is a girl, if at least one of us has a boy, Father will additionally organize a tournament the next time.”

“It's just like in the middle ages. Why am I not surprised?”, Jane drawled drily, and Steve snickered along with Bruce.

“Why haven't we seen birthday parties for you until now, Thor?”, the soldier asked.

Thor grinned.

“If you live as long as we do, it grows old very soon. We celebrate once every ten years, but then it is a rather spectacular feast.”

“It's his turn next year. We've celebrated his last decade shortly before the botched coronation.”, Loki added and, with a quick look left and right, helped herself to a plate full of deliciously looking tartlets from a scurrying servant who didn't even become aware of the theft.

She grinned like the Cheshire cat and handed the plate over so Jane could grab one as well. Snickers followed when Thor took the plate with a deep sigh (but smiling as well).

“Still as light-fingered as ever, I see.”

“It is totally unfair that you judge this, Brother. Without you, I would have never gotten that good in stealing sweets from the kitchens.”

“Oh, that was not intended as judgement, Loki. Next time, make sure to get us some of the puff pastry filled with fruits, yes?”

 

 

Ásdís had made eyes as wide as saucers when she was allowed to open the big doors herself to enter to her first real asgardian birthday party.

There were tons of presents from all over the Realms (it seemed word had finally made its way past Asgard's boundaries), people were attending neither Loki nor Thor had seen for aeons (such as Frey and Freya, amongst a huge variety of other Vanir and Elves from Alfheim, and the occasional Dwarf).

The little girl was too stunned to close her mouth for five full minutes.

Then her everlasting curiosity kicked in and she began to talk like a waterfall, ask questions without waiting for the answer because there was another question already more burning inside her.

The Avengers and the four Asgardian Warriors made sure she was never alone and always watched, one of them in the closest vicinity at all times, while she rushed through the crowd and satisfied her thirst for information.

Ever and anon she came back to either Tony or Loki and told them what exciting news she had just learned, and while Loki smiled and remained seated, Tony was following her half of the time because he was as intrigued by all the new species as she was.

“Why haven't they been at the wedding?”, the sorceress asked when she thought about it. Thor's wedding had been a grand affair, and suspiciously few of the other Realms had been present – usually, it would be considered affront and insult to not attend.

Frigga frowned.

“We were afraid what would happen should Algrim choose to attack. Many invited chose to stay home as to not add to the number we would have to protect in case it happened.”

“And now it is fine?”

“All of them have provided means to guard themselves, and added protection for the City as well. Your father has taken great care to make this as safe as possible for all. And, the more allies there are, the safer my children and grandchildren.”

Loki nodded and brought her attention back to the wide floor.

She could not hide her laughter when she saw Freya attempting to pull Steve in for a dance. He clearly was not too keen and already starting to turn pink. The woman, though, did not accept a refusal and so they were moving to the fast beat mere moments later, more or less steady and, in Steve's case, not comfortable at all.

Not to mention that Asgard had its own fair share of dances that neither of the humans had learned as of yet.

Loki remedied that immediately after watching Natasha and Clint, both fitting in as if they had never done something other than dancing.

Ásdís was giggling happily in her Father's arms, engrossed in their own private dance of sorts (the Trickster knew for a fact that Tony had a vast repertoire on midgardian dances he was quite adept at, he just never used this skills), and Loki knew exactly that this sort of calm could not last. She was awaiting an attack any second now, because a party that big would have been noticed. There was no way Algrim would let this chance slip from his grasp.

“Relax. Everything is under control.”, Jane said when she noticed the tense woman at her side. “Thor has relayed every single word you said and has made sure that there are no slip-ups. Have a bit of faith in him for once.”, she chuckled.

A deep sigh wormed itself out of Loki's throat, and she gingerly tried to chill. It was a lot harder than she thought, but making a compromise with herself finally did the trick. As long as she would not lose her watchful eye completely, she could as well have fun.

 

 

The feast had been glorious and contrary to Loki's expectation there was no attack. The evening went by smoothly, and before they knew it, Ásdís had scrambled up on Thor's lap and was fast asleep.

“Bruce, you'll sleep with us.”, Loki stated merrily while carefully relieving her brother from the girl, softly snoring in bliss, and somehow managing to lift her into her arms without looking too clumsy.

“Why in hell should you, or me for that matter, want that?”, the scientist asked, and his face displayed a wide range from surprise to suspicion, and perhaps a tiny little bit of fear as well.

Before he noticed, Tony had slung one arm around his shoulders, effectively trapping him, and, with a wide smile that bordered on manic, winked at him. Bruce looked horrified.

“Darling, the bed's a dream, and it is big enough for all of us.”, he said. “By the way, that was an invitation if I ever heard one, and you sure do not want to miss out on Loki.”

The well-known blend of coughing, laughing, choking and gagging followed that statement. Loki snickered and kissed Bruce's cheek in passing. He sighed defeated and massaged his nose while turning with Tony to leave.

“Well, I can't say no to that, now can I? See you tomorrow, then.”

They left behind a group that was not sure in the least what they would do once they were alone.

“And here I thought I was the one who was the threesome-girl to ask...”, Pepper sighed and watched her boss leave.

Clint winced.

“What the hell is _wrong_ with you people?!”

 

 

The alarms blared in the early morning hours, as the Dark Elves had chosen to attack when the whole of Asgard would be in slumber, or at least be rudely awakened by them and thus not as clear in the mind as its citizens would be at other times.

Bruce turned into Hulk without thinking, and the Jolly Green curled protectively around Loki and Ásdís in a matter of seconds, just in time to shield them from the debris that rained down on them when the wall was blown to dust.

The sorceress had never been more thankful that Bruce put up with both her and Tony.

“My Dizzy.”, Hulk growled at the wretched creatures that entered the room, set on retrieving the girl that clutched her mother's shirt and was held in a tight grip as well. “Hulk smash!”

“Good boy.” Tony said, suit snugly around his body, shielding his wife and kid as effectively as the green rage Monster besides him.

It got ugly.

Loki barely managed to hold Ásdís' eyes closed so she would not have to bear the sight of both her Daddy and Hulk get beaten to kingdom come, helping as good as she could without using too much magic (she absolutely _loved_ the ice-blades that were innate with Jotnar!), but could not retreat as teleporting would have definitely been beyond what she would be willing to risk.

The Firefly was limiting her magic even more than Ásdís had.

They were caged in her chambers, destroyed beyond recognition, and she pressed her girl to her body, hushing her with soft words to ease her terror and panic, while both her husband and the faithful brute tried to fend off Algrim.

Loki almost believed that this time, they would not get out alive.

Until the others arrived, that is. Suddenly, the room was even more crowded than before, yelling and screaming ensued, and a few minutes later, the Elves were gone again.

The Hulk roared after them in triumph.

Something nagged at the back of Loki's head, and snapped into place when she got sight of her husband again, absently staring into thin air and tapping the glass of the arc reactor.

It pulsated with energy, faintly and almost imperceptible, the beat getting weaker every second, but now she knew.

“This is not good.”, she whispered, stroking her daughters hair and kissing the head in front of her gently. “By the Norns and the Realms, Tony, this is a disaster.”

He frowned at her. “What?”

Standing up, Loki shook her head softly, still clutching her child to her chest and soothing the crying girl who did not understand what just had happened.

“We need new rooms, and she needs sleep. Then, and only if she rests, I will speak.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've got a proposal.
> 
> As the current average comment number per chapter is six (six! Guy's you are so awesome and I love you!!), I will update the next chapter as soon as I have received eight comments. (Wanna make the game a bit harder ;D). If the chapters aren't worth eight reviews, I'll wait the full four days.  
> Deal?  
> That way, the drama will hit so much faster, and it will be over so much faster. Hopefully.  
> This proposal is planned for the next... let's say eight chapters, this one included. By then we should relish in the last few, because I'm finally done. It's finished and just waiting to be posted.


	20. Arc Reactor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tension finally explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised, I deliver.  
> To make it clear - I really didn't intend to fish for comments, I just wanted to give you the opportunity to get faster updates. I'm sorry if this came out the wrong way :/  
> I can see how it looks like that, though, and I apologize for it. It really wasn't intended that way.
> 
> But HELL am I flattered. Thirteen (in numbers 13!!) comments in under seven hours? You are crazy and awesome and I haven't deserved you.

 

 

“Spill. You've got something.”

Leaning back into the couch, Tony stared at his wife with inquiring eyes. Loki dropped her gaze for a few moments before looking through the window of Thor's quarters where they had taken residence for the remaining day.

“Somehow, Algrim has managed to etch a spell into your arc reactor. It mingled with its own energy so that I could not distinguish between old and new, and did not register that something was amiss. Now I have, and it is truly terrifying that I did not notice it sooner.”

Blinking at Tony from under her eyelashes, Loki looked more serene than she had in quite some years.

“You're guiding them. The spell shows Algrim everything we speak and do close to you, and if I have judged correctly, even transmits some of your emotions to him.”

Silence followed. Neither had thought something like that would ever happen, and if it was true, then it would have severe consequences. For all of them.

“I'll get rid of it. Now-ish. I don't need it any more.”, the engineer said and before anyone could utter a word, he had tugged the thing loose, throwing it to the floor.

“There.”

“I don't know if that will work. You have... Tony?”

He had lost a bit of colour to his face, and his eyes were wide as his hand hovered over his chest.

“Tony, what's wrong?”, Loki asked, her tone urgent.

Instead of words, he grit out a sound between wincing and grunting, already fishing for the reactor again. Natasha scooped it up and handed it over to him, his face ashen and coated in a fine sheet of cold sweat.

“Oh Norns, this is even worse.”, the sorceress grumbled, scurrying over to her husband to help him get the device back into his chest. Once they had accomplished that, Tony took a deep breath and leaned back, one hand fingering the rim of the reactor through his shirt, slightly jittery and shaking as was Loki.

“Seems I do need it.”, he huffed with a lopsided grin.

“Okay, aside from the fact that his body apparently is addicted to the arc-reactor, why do you not just cancel the spell, Loki?”, Bruce wanted to know, but got back only a shrug and a sigh.

“I can't. It has merged with the reactor, cancelling it would mean cancelling the device that keeps him alive. I cannot separate the spells' energy from the reactors', I already tried.”

Loki hesitated for a few seconds, mouth slightly agape in the process of thinking through how to explain what had happened.

“Tony has... somehow absorbed part of the energy the element in the reactor produces. Perhaps it's the being part-Aesir now that has started this. Probably his body and the device entered some sort of... symbiosis, for lack of a better word. They depend on each other.”, she stated, throwing her husband a guarded look.

“You've absorbed the spell just as you have absorbed the energy. It's in your whole body, and I cannot possibly trace your every cell and rip the spell out. I cannot rid you of it. We're transparent.”

“That's... not very positive.”, Steve said.

“I'll have to take distance.”, Tony cut in, fingers restlessly playing with his goatee, gaze up on the ceiling.

“No. No, you won't.”

Loki would not allow that. She needed him. How could she possibly allow him to butt out now of all times?

“Lokes, if I'm the reason he knows when we're here, I'll have to cut the contact.”, the engineer said with gentle voice, but sounding so damn tired. Worn out.

“He'll just seek another one to spell or hunt you down to get to us. You're not going to vanish on me or on the children, are we clear?”

“Loki--”

“If you _dare_ leave me, for whatever reason you deem important enough, I will take Ásdís you will _never_ see us again.”, she hissed with fury in her eyes. “Go on, go, and you'll not be any better than all the other's I trusted and whom betrayed me.”

The child inside her kicked hard against her ribs, and her soft flinch made Tony reach out for her in worry. She retreated a step, bringing one hand up to stop him from actually touching her.

“As long as you still think you need to _take your distance_ ,”, Loki sneered, “and I know you do, use that smart brain of yours and don't even think of coming near me.”

With that, she made her way over to Thor's bedroom where her daughter slept, lying down besides her and silently thanking the Fates that they had not ripped the child out of her arms yet.

 

 

“Where's Daddy?”

Loki grit her teeth, short of breaking her own jaw with the pressure.

“Isn't he hungry?”, Ásdís wanted to know while she stuffed her face with baked goods, just like her Uncle.

“Apparently not, Sweetheart. I'm sure he's around here somewhere.”, she answered, the lie slipping from her tongue easily.

It had been more than a day that she had last seen Tony. When Ásdís had woken up, Loki had reassured her that she was still safe and everything would be okay. Her husband had been gone by the time they left the bedroom, and Loki's heart had made a hollow thump when she realized this.

Well, it seemed abandonment was her fate, after all. How...

… crushing. She had not anticipated the staggering loneliness and ice cold burn of disappointment to be that strong. Ah, perhaps when one trusted enough, the following betrayal weighted all the heavier.

Despite this, Loki was not sure at all if she could follow through with her threat, though. She relied on that horribly stupid man. Loved him. And she could not steal away her daughter and believe her to be fine when she came to know she would not see her Daddy again. Or the others.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Pumpkin. I had to check something first.”

Oh Norns, Loki could feel her cheeks get blotchy with an angry blush. How dare he?

“Forgive me, Bambi.”, Tony then whispered into her hair and stroked her bare shoulders, over the tense muscles that lay beneath. “I had to make sure that I was in fact dependant on this one.”

He tapped the arc reactor lightly. Oh great. That probably meant he had tested his old reactors on himself. He could have died, given the reaction he had when he had dislodged the current model the day before.

“You could not have just told me?”, she growled, not at all soothed and bristling like a cat as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

“You know me, Loki, once I have an idea I forget everything else. I'm sorry. I was a bit out of my mind, you know, with you telling me that I am the reason he has found her, and probably will find her again and again.”

“So what now? Figured you'd come back whimpering like the dog you are?”

“Ouch, darling, that hurts.”

“Good.”, Loki hissed with a forced smirk, giving him a murderous glance while standing up and finally getting his hands off of her shoulders.

“I recommend you wait until I feel like dealing with you again, Stark. There are enough Realms to choose from, if you decide to vanish again without telling me, and I swear there will be no force in the universe that will get either of us back to you should you leave me a second time.”

“I was in New York! At home!”, Tony objected, but Loki would not have it.

“You left. On purpose, without telling _anyone_ where you were going. You may be gracious that I remained here. Twenty-four hours are more than enough for me to leave without a single trace, even pregnant and with limited magical resources.”

Despite the burning rage inside her, there were tears prickling in the corner's of her eyes, proof of the betrayal she felt, and Loki would die before letting him see how hurt she had been when he had apparently chosen the simplest solution over her.

So she turned around and went to leave as fast as she could without actively running.

Tony caught up just as they were out of the room, gripping Loki's wrist and trapping her in an embrace that she fought against, but had no chance in her smaller body.

“Never, Loki, never would I leave you if I can find another way. I'm sorry, I did not think straight. I love you. I don't want to be separated from you for even the shortest second. I'm sorry.”, he whispered in her ear, pressing her against his body, easily countering the wriggling she still did.

“What exactly did you think I would think after I found you missing from Thor's chambers? After you said you would go? Was I meant to miraculously _sense_ you at home? Well, newsflash, genius, I actually don't have a connection to the Tower!”, Loki spat, fruitlessly trying to get her hands free.

“I'm sorry. Forgive me.”

“Being sorry will not work forever. I need to know I can rely on you to protect our daughter, that you will be here should she need you.”

“I know. I'm sorry.”

Loki's anger downright deflated when she went more or less limp in his arms and felt his grip on her tighten even more.

“Have you any idea how it hurt to think you were gone? That you had left me, for whatever reason? I am broken enough, Stark, I don't need any more scratches or cracks. Especially now that I have to care for two more souls besides my own.”, she said tonelessly, and the hollow place inside her heart sent shivers down her spine.

“Forgive me, Loki. I did not intent to hurt you. I wanted to be back before you knew I was gone.”

“What kept you?”

“I had to wait for Rhodey. I wasn't going to exchange the reactors without supervision.”

Loki raised a delicate brow at him and made such a disbelieving face that Tony rolled his eyes and groaned.  
“Yes, okay, Jarvis insisted on it and wouldn't open the doors to the room I keep the spare ones in.”

“That sounds more like you.”

He sighed at the clipped tone.

“I blacked out when I tested the old ones, the ones with palladium. Rhodey panicked, and I needed a lot of time to actually come back to my senses.”

A searing hot blade lodged itself into Loki's heart, directly beneath the gaping hole.

“So now you're telling me you almost died, too. Well done. Should I be proud that you have reversed to the old egomaniac that can't ask for help? _Qualified_ help?”, the god snarled and tried anew to get out of the embrace her husband had forced her into to no avail.

“What do you want me to say? I freaked, Loki, I fucking freaked out! There you are and tell us almost casually that I am at fault for getting Dizzy in danger, that I am the one who leads that... that... huge asshole here who wants to steal our girl! I had to do something!”, Tony yelled, his grip almost painful now. “Do you really believe I _want_ to leave you? Really? Gods, Loki, you are the only reason I wake up every day! If anything were to happen to either you or one of the kids, I'd lose it. I live for you. To protect you. And when I cannot do that, then what use do I have in your life?”

“The very same, Tony.”, Loki whispered, eyes wet and voice thick. “I cannot live without you. I cannot. You are the sun my whole universe orbits, and without you, I am nothing. Literally nothing. You would take my heart and soul with you.”

“I'm sorry.”, he breathed once again, and this time the Trickster leaned into the embrace and held on for dear life.

“Do not ever do something like that again. Never. No running off, no experiments without me or Bruce. I swear I will find a way to bring you back to kill you again should you die because of your own infinite idiocy.”

“I promise. I'm sorry. Forgive me.”

Tony cradled her head to his shoulder when Loki buried her face in his neck, stroking it softly and kissing her raven hair while muttering apologies over and over again.

“It's okay. It's okay.”, she mumbled in response. “Promise me we'll find a solution to all this. Soon.”

“I promise. Do you hear that, Algrim? Spy on us all you like, you dirty voyeur, we will defeat you. You'll never get our daughter, and you'll never get what you want.”

 

 

They returned to Earth the day after, attempting to not speak of any plans they might have in front of Tony, though Loki had the suspicion that this would not help. The spell could as well act like a microphone.

“We will watch out for you.”, Odin promised, and Loki felt her father weave a spell that would alert him to any form of danger Ásdís could possibly encounter, anchoring it in the necklace he had gifted her.

“Thank you. I hope there will be nothing to force you to intervene.”

At least the matter with Doom had ceased to be. For a while.

Back in New York both Jane and Loki were forced to relax, pampered to the point of them moving only from couch to bed and back without actually having need of walking anywhere, and it was nerve-racking, to say the very least. Loki had enough four days later.

“I am pregnant, not some sort of invalid. I am very capable to fix my own meals and drinks and am well aware of my limits. Stop walking on eggshells around me.”, he growled while stretching his long limbs, seriously annoyed with the way they all seemed to think him a delicate girl about to be crushed under the pressure. “If you remember, we fought the last potential Wrecker of the Universe while I was carrying Ásdís.”

When Jane had started to grouch as well, Bruce had relented and talked to both Tony and Thor who had been the initiators of said pampering.

They studied the spell to the best of their abilities while Tony had begun to built a new arc reactor in the hopes of replacing the spelled one and perhaps getting the magic out of his system like that.

He had one fixed in the middle of August. Even though his body accepted the new core, recognizing the same element as before, the spell crawled back into the device from the myriad of cells it had inhabited.

“Don't worry. We'll get around that. Once he's dead, the spell will disappear. Until then, well, we will have to make it work.”, Loki said when Tony had almost crushed the old reactor with his bare hands in anger and disappointment.

 

 

The schedule they had worked out was followed as ardently as they could – neither Loki, Ásdís nor Jane were ever alone, it bordered on 'joined at the hips' with various actors through the week. Shared meals had become a regular event for all of them, including Pepper, sometimes even Rhodey, and when the mood struck, Coulson came by to spy a bit (at least, Tony was adamant that this was the reason).

Ásdís was blissfully aware that there was always someone around to play with her or answer her (still insatiable) thirst for whatever knowledge she could gather and of course used it to the full extend of her capabilities, evolving into Loki more and more with her way to wrap everyone around her little finger with a single word and a calculated smile.

The Trickster was awfully proud of that, naturally. Needless to say that he was the only one able to call her on her manipulations and either chide or praise her for them.

Thankfully, the villains that were so set on conquering New York were in some kind of hibernation, no chaos, no attacks, and with Doom gone the Avengers had a few really quiet weeks.

Thor had invited his friends over for a few days, so they could learn about the new home he had found on Midgard, giving them tours around the City and showing them things they did not know about, such as cinemas, ice-cream, all kinds of sweets and foods (especially Volstagg was interested in the last), going as far as packing up Clint and Ásdís and visiting the zoo, strangely fascinated with the earthen wildlife. Jane had called up Natasha and Steve, the three occupying the Stark-Couch in the penthouse not ten minutes later, engrossed in some romantic action drama movie that had Loki flee down to the lab, joining Bruce and Tony in whatever experiment they were absorbed in.

In truth, though, it was not surprising in the least when Algrim found a way to appear in Central Park one day in the middle of September, while the Avengers plus friends were enjoying the last of the sunny days over the biggest picnic basket the world had ever seen.

The Elves crashed down on the grass with one of the smaller battle ships they somehow had managed to fix, sending the other visitors of the Park into panic, screams and cries rising high.

Before anyone could engage into any form of battle, though, Hogun had called for Heimdall, and, with a quick shove, all three persons to be protected were separated from the rest and were whisked off to Asgard.

Loki blinked surprised when they came face to face with the Gatekeeper.

“That was unexpected.”, he stated drily, before looking around in search of his daughter and Jane, both standing directly besides her and looking as confused as Loki felt.

“What was that?”, the physicist asked.

“Hogun apparently used his brain and found a safe way to escape for us.”, the sorcerer shrugged. “Heimdall, how are they faring?”

“They have a small advantage, Algrim seems rather angry that his target has vanished right in front of his eyes. The elves are retreating again.”

“Already?”

A miniscule smirk tugged at the Aesir's lips. “I am sure he has not expected his assault playing out like this.”

“Hm.”

They stayed in the Dome of the Bifröst for the time being, until Thor called out to the All-Seeing and asking him to send them back. It was such a strange experience to be completely removed from a fight that Loki was seriously on edge when returning. Tony needed a lot of words and chocolate to calm him down again.

“Okay, you know what, we'll double the bodyguards. There will be at least two of us with you at all times, five when you're together.”, Tony decided that evening, and Jarvis had drawn out a new timetable in under two minutes.

“Never leave without your weapons, are we clear?”, Steve added, and Loki made a mental note to finally strap back on some of his knives. Well, at least one or two of the few he had rescued out of the destroyed remains his chambers had proven to be after the attack in July.

The Firefly hiccuped. He chuckled. Oh Norns, he hoped the whole damned thing with Algrim would not been drawn out any longer. They needed to make their worlds safe again for the children about to be born.

For the child already bewitching them day after day with her charming smile and curios nature.

For their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, really, guys, you're fantastic. Deal still stays. Next chapter is up as soon as I have eight comments, but if that's not happening it's fine as well, and I'll stay in my usual rhythm of four days, what equals Saturday.  
> Please don't get me wrong here, I really don't want to blackmail you - I'll not abandon or take more time to upload, it's just a means for you to get it faster.  
> (And yeah, it gives me the excuse to post faster because I want the drama to be over with XD; but I don't want it to be over completely too fast, either - I'm in a dilemma here...)  
> If you're against that, I'll take it back, of course. I hate fishing for compliments as much as you do. I'd never force you to comment.
> 
> (And I profoundly apologize if Loki or Tony were overdoing the dramaqueen here. My fingers do what they want sometimes...)


	21. Welcome to the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> November rolls around. Who counted knows what will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm at a loss for words, really. Three chapters in under 24h. I really really really love you.  
> Sorry for the delay, real life and work got in the way. (Really, you made good on your side of the bargain while I was sleeping...)
> 
> Aaand I hope this isn't too explicit. ;)

 

 

All of them agreed that it had been a small miracle that October went by without as much as an incident of whatever cause. No Algrim. No Doom (probably licking his wounds...). Absolutely nothing.

“Bruce, how much longer? I'm seriously done with being pregnant.”, Jane whined on Halloween's Eve, swollen feet propped up on the couch, one hand resting on her belly that looked as if she had swallowed an inflated beach ball.

Oh well, Loki was one to talk, he looked not much better. Only his taller frame masked his baby bump and made it appear smaller than it truthfully was.

“Give it a week tops. Loki will have to wait three more, if our calculations are correct.”

“They always are, we're geniuses.”, Tony grinned and trotted over with two cups of hot chocolate, back to pampering the Mum's-to-be.

“There you are, hun's, one for my brilliant astrophysicist, and one for my evil magician. Pep, you're good?”

“Haha.”, Loki deadpanned while the CEO nodded, but greedily reached for the drink. Sugar. Lots of sugar. Perfect.

“When can we expect Steve, Thor and his merry band of friends back with our girl?”, Tony asked and sat down besides them, snatching the second pair of swollen feet up and gently kneading his fingers into the soles, making Loki groan in delight.

“Soon. Dizzy is bound to fall asleep between nine and ten, that's her absolute limit, they're just finishing the block and will return after that.”, he sighed content, relaxing into the massage and closing his eyes.

“Oh, good, I need one of these too.”, Jane told them.

Chuckling, Loki reached over to do her the favour as long as his brother was away, gently copying the movements Tony made.

“Headcount: One not so rage-y rage-monster, a henpecked Iron Man, a defenceless girl, a girl who pepper-sprayed her way to her boss and a bloated Dwarf. Can we add one super-sexy redhead and a phenomenally good-looking archer?”, a voice called out from the elevator, and the Shield-Agents entered with hands full of steaming boxes.

“The redhead we'll accept, the guy seems to be missing, though.”

Tony, Loki and Jane snickered at Bruce's words, not moving a single inch even when Nat and Clint gracefully climbed over the tangled mess of limbs on their way to the table and distributing the Chinese food they'd hunted down.

Not long after that the “Trick and Treater's” arrived safely back home, laden with sweets and bright smiles, Ásdís slumped over Fandral's back in exhaustion, but with a big happy grin plastered over her face. Loki had clad her in a ridiculously cute dress in light blue, since she still insisted on someday becoming like “Ella” (neither parent had yet understood why she identified herself with the _maid_ of all the princesses, where she obviously was more the spoiled brat from 'Princess and the Frog', but hey, whatever).

“I see you were efficient. It's a good thing we're a dozen people here or else the candy would never vanish.”, Loki snickered from his place on the couch, feet again in Tony's capable hands.

Volstagg and Sif smirked/grinned brightly. “We absolutely have to bring this feast to Asgard!”, they chorused with childish enthusiasm, making the others chuckle and shuffle to make place for the newcomers.

“It is quite the entertainment!”, the well-fed warrior exclaimed.

“You do realize that it is an activity for children, yes?”, Loki said while fishing for a bar of chocolate that Ásdís would never miss in the morning. Volstagg shrugged and did the same.  
“Ah, but many children were accompanied by adults, so as long as your children are growing, we'll have a reason to partake in such activities.”

“Oh god, they have thought this through. Dizzy will get held hostage by them just to serve as a means to get sweets.”, Tony snorted before accepting the bite his husband held in front of his face.

When Natasha and Pepper had volunteered to bring the girl into bed, Clint once again tried to pry the information of at least one baby-gender out of Loki (he had done that once every two weeks since knowing there was a bet to win or loose), failing miserably when the god just smirked and shook his head.

“You will have to be patient for some days more. You'll live.”

“Aw, that's unfair. You totally know who's already loosing the bet.”

“So I am.”, the sorcerer smirked as wide as he could, happily munching on a caramel-filled chocolate bar.

 

 

Jane went in labour three days later, in the middle of the night, cursing Thor colourfully and with the most creative assortment of insults and swearing Loki had ever heard, and that meant a lot. At first, she had wanted to stay at home with all of them, but in the middle of getting her all ready in her own bedroom she had changed her mind and demanded to be taken to the nearest hospital, to at least feel like someone who actually should know what they did was near her while she tried to deliver a baby that was probably bigger than a watermelon.

It surely felt like it, Loki mused with a smirk when Jane continued to threaten Thor with all sorts of mutilations for putting her through this.

“I will cut off your dick and feed it to one of these bilgesnipe you are so fond of, do you hear me?”, she panted between two contractions, her small hand squeezing his big one so hard her knuckles were white, and his slowly began to turn purple with congested blood.

After that, she had no more breath left for curses, fully concentrated on not choking on the pressure that the child placed on her body.

Thor looked like he was away from fainting by a hairbreadth, his face pasty and eyes wide, clearly not really understanding what happened to his wife. Sitting on her other side per Jane's demands, Loki smirked amused while calmly hushing the scientist, praising her for doing so well and talking her through the labour.

“I _swear_ this will be the only time I'll do this!”, she winced in a high-pitched voice, tears in her eyes when she clamped down on Thor's hand again, and the sorceress patted her over hand, wound tightly around the sheets, knuckles as white as her others.

“That is a wise choice, dear.”, Loki nodded, knowing exactly that this notion could change any time now, but placating her friend like she needed.

It was about forty minutes later that the first child of Thor, First Prince and Heir to Asgard's throne was born, at daybreak, just as the sun threw her first rays into the room.

Loki was reminded of the birth of her first child with an intensity that almost scared her. Her brother held the same love-stricken gaze that he watched Dizzy with, gentle, full of adoration and admiring the wailing baby that was placed inside Jane's arms. The small woman sighed relieved and leaned back once the child was on her chest, cries reduced to soft whimpering.

“Oh _thank_ God that's over.”, she huffed, but she smiled and her eyes were laden with love as well when she glanced down to the pink, wrinkled baby that flailed its arms and legs in the clear demonstration of not being happy to be expelled from the warm and dark place it had rested in for so long.

“Well done, Jane. Congratulations.”, Loki said, and Thor looked up to her with the widest grin she had ever seen on him. “To you too, you big goof.”

Thor smiled even wider.

“So, what am I graced with? Niece or nephew?”

“I don't even know. Lemme check.”, Jane said, sneaking a quick peek down to her babe, eliciting loud outcries of protest when she removed the warm blanket. “Hush, you, don't make such a ruckus now. It's all right.”

The God of Thunder looked seriously offended that Jane did not heed their child's need at once and was already opening his big mouth to chastise her when Loki rolled her eyes and shot him a look.

“If you engage that overprotecting bear mode you have shown with us lately, I'll punch you. A little cold air will not harm them.”

Jane smirked.

“There, he's tucked in again. Nothing happened. We're good. Éldi is going to be totally fine.”

And just like that, Thor's eyes lit up again as if someone had pushed a switch, lips splitting into a grin as he stood, hovering over the smaller frame of his wife and child.

“A son. I am father to a son.”, he whispered and kissed Jane loudly and soundly. “Thank you, my love.”

“Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Now go and tell the others, I need to feed him, I swear he's going to be as hungry as you.”, she said, popping open the buttons to her shirt. “That means Clint has already lost his money. Who's winning, Loki?”

“It'll be a tie. It won't be long before we know.”

 

 

'Not long' turned out to be later in the evening of the same day, apparently. After the Odinson and -dóttir had emerged from the room Jane stayed in and told the others the good news, Loki demanded to be taken home, preferably soon-ish, with a sweet smile and a demand for something to drink en passant, kissing her Brother goodbye and slowly making her way over to the doors.

“Um, we'll come by later? Hug your girl for us, okay?”, Tony asked and trailed after his wife with a grin, and while he laid one hand supportingly on the small of her back in a gentle gesture that would have made Pepper tear up in pride for how mature he acted, the rest of the group followed after passing their own congratulations.

“Stop moping, Clint, you're not the only one loosing the bet.”, Loki chirped jovially and rubbed her sides, shortly after entering the Penthouse and draping herself over the Couch. Ásdís was sitting in Steve's lap, eagerly asking when they would return so she could see the baby, having slept through the whole shebang until they were on their way back already, and he answered her to the best of his abilities, laughing when she proposed to just open a pathway right now and then for them. Loki grinned.

“Please refrain from doing so, minn dýrr, both Jane and your cousin need their rest. Let them sleep for some time, and in the afternoon you may return to the hospital with your Father.”

“Promise?”

“On my honour, darling.”, she smiled. Ásdís seemed placated and went back to Steve and her drawing book.

“Bruce, could you stay with me here? And I'd like to have Tasha, too, if it's not too much trouble.”

“Sure.”, they said, both on the verge of falling asleep after staying up all night. “Has anyone contacted Pep as of now? She surely wants to know.”

Tony took care of it, judging the squeal that came from the kitchen not five minutes later, before he came back to the living room with a light breakfast for Loki and some snacks for the rest.

They dozed all through the morning and well into midday, preparing to leave again when the clock struck three.

“You will be okay?”, Tony asked, forehead leaning against Loki's, and she smiled at him with closed eyes, relishing the gesture.

“Yes, love. I will be fine. Bruce is here, and Natasha will keep an eye on me as well. Jarvis will call you if anything happens.”

“ _Will_ there be happening something? I'd like to know now, last time you decided to call me ten minutes before I was a Dad.”

“Now, Anthony, I was in labour two hours longer after having Bruce tell you.”

“I'll be better this time around, promise. I will at least try not to pace around as much, I mean.”, he grinned. “Can I be there this time?”

Loki looked at her lover for a few moments, a faint, fond smile on her lips. Taking one of his hands and placing it over her stomach, she leaned closer to his ear, waiting for a movement under her skin.

“This is not the baby kicking.”, she whispered when she felt it, and his sudden intake of air was confirming he knew what she was hinting at. “I'll have J call you in time.”

Tony kissed her with as much affection as he could put into it without actively making out.

“Oh, geez, Stark, come on already.”

“You better watch my wife here, understand? See you later!”

 

 

The engineer rushed home again in record time once his mobile rang, excusing himself from the hospital and his friends with a short “Sorry, gotta dash. Loki's feeling pushy.”

They had already moved to the bedroom, the sorceress propped up against the headboard, taking deep, controlled breaths and sluggishly waving when he entered.

“Oh good, you made it.”, she smirked with closed eyes. “Make yourself comfy, there's still time. Or you could help Bruce with whatever he's preparing.”

“No need, I'm done. Tea?”

She chuckled softly and nodded. “Awesome.”

“Will you threaten my dick as Jane did with Thor's?”, Tony asked as he climbed onto the bed to serve as a figure to lean on, quite literally, what had Loki snort and shuffle around so she was seated in front of him, resting against his chest.

“I could if you want. I had a whole array when Dizzy came, but you were too nervous for me to allow you in. Nice to see that has changed.”

“I'm proud of myself, too, Rudolph.”

Natasha engaged them in some light conversation, and Tony was gently stroking the tense skin that was Loki's belly, murmuring soft reassurances into her ear and nuzzling the wild black curls in front of his face.

Controlled as ever Loki went through the actual birth with only small whimpers and the occasional ragged breath, what had Bruce shake his head in wonder.

“You're really something else. Come on, push, the head's almost out.”

“Oh really, I wouldn't have noticed.”, she huffed, but did what he asked while Nat wetted a towel, preparing a soft blanket to wrap the child in, appearing as calm as Loki.

Tony thought hard about what that meant – two girls so absolutely unimpressed and composed while witnessing something gruesome like a delivery? A tiny shudder wrecked his spine.

Another climbed up his back when he felt another contraction on Loki's belly, followed by a soft sigh and a hand that clasped his.

“You okay?”, he whispered into her hair, gaze firmly trained on Bruce and whatever he did between his wife's legs, more feeling her nod than actually seeing it and then his heart gave out for a few seconds as there was a tiny wail, followed by a much harsher scream when Natasha handed over the wet cloth and then the blanket.

“Congratulations.”, both the Russian and Bruce grinned at Loki and Tony.

The engineer pressed another kiss in Loki's hair, raw and needy and forceful while he held her close and brought their arms up to her chest so their baby could be placed inside them.

“Welcome, little Noelle.”, the god whispered with a fond smile and leaned her head to the side, giving Tony the chance to look at their daughter as well. He swallowed around a heavy lump inside his throat. His chest felt as if it would burst any second with the rush of emotions.

“Holy kiwi, she's adorable.”, he finally grunted, one hand already searching for the tiny counterpart of his second child, carefully letting her grasp his finger with a smile that probably made him look as if he was totally bonkers. Fuck if he cared.

“Thank you thank you thank you.”, Tony chuckled and placed a wet kiss on Loki's cheek, making her grin and shift into a more comfortable position.

“I assure you this was as much in my interest as in yours.”, she answered while gently stroking Noelle's head with a single finger. “She has your nose.”

“Poor thing.”

 

 

“Aw, damn.”, Pepper said when she glimpsed down on her phone.

“What?”

“Loki and Steve have won the bet. And Thor, to an extend.”

“I thought the Dwarf didn't want to spill before... oh.”, Clint said, immediately leaning over and snatching a glance on the screen. “How do they always produce such cute monsters?”

“I don't know. Bloody handsome bastards, both of them.”

“Kindly include us!”, Jane called from the bed, merrily spooning the pudding Steve had organized while Éldi snored in his father's giant arms, Ásdís on his knees and staring at the sleeping child without so much as blinking.

“We don't have to party two times with the kids, Tony's brat decided to hatch around thirty minutes ago.”, the archer grinned.

“What wonderful news!”, Thor boomed, promptly waking up his son who made his distress known with a rather loud and shocked intake of breath before screaming bloody murder, and the big blonde made a face born out of despair and self-loathing.

“Oh, son, I am sorry, so sorry! Forgive me!”, he stuttered, frozen in place. Ásdís reached out and gently stroked the baby's cheeks with her little hand.

“It's all right, Baby, you don't need to cry. Uncle Toto's always loud.”

 

 

Jane stayed the night and returned to the Tower the next day, where Loki was already waiting on the couch, a tiny bundle at her chest as well.

“You copycat.”, the astrophysicist grinned and settled down besides her, sneaking a quick peek down the light green fabric, and Loki shifted her hold a bit so the sleepy baby could peek right back at her Aunt.

“Hey, not my idea. Noelle was in a hurry all of a sudden.”

“Noelle?”

Loki smiled proudly. “Noelle Ginger Stark.”

Jane chuckled.

“You have gotten the better deal there.”

“Aw, poor Éldi.”

Pepper cleared her throat.

“Tony, you explain that to me.”

“Us.”, Steve piped in.

The engineer grinned brightly and patted Thor's broad back before joining the girls on the couch, Ásdís on Loki's other side, leaning over her sister and staring as intently at her as she had done with her cousin before.

“Noelle is the french 'Natasha', and Ginger is for Pep. We had it easy, just two woman to think of.”

Jane sighed annoyed. “Yes, thank you so much.”

Pepper was close to tears, and Tony needed to hug her and hush her or she would have ruined her make-up. Even Natasha looked softer than she usually did, eyes wider than normal, and she leaned against Clint without realizing it.

“And this one is Éldi Robin Steve Thorson.”, Jane introduced their son.

“Éldi means Fire.”, Thor stated and regarded Loki with a fond gaze, and his sister nodded her head once in recognition and appreciation.

“Robin is the cumulative for both 'Robert' Bruce and Clint, and Steve hopefully has no need for an explanation. We seriously attempted to pack you all in.”, Jane said. “It's not the most melodious name out there, but we didn't want anyone to feel left out.”

“That is... so awesome.”, Clint stated with a wide smirk and squeezed Tasha's shoulder once.

The air was heavy with emotions, and no one spoke a word.

And then Fury called. Actually, it were Coulson and Hill, while Fury stood at the windows and pretended to not be interested when they inquired about the newest addition to the Avengers, and it loosened the atmosphere instantly. Tony ordered something to eat and handed a drink to everyone who was legal and not used as a feeding machine for the next months.

The babies did not like being separated from either their mom's or each other, the noticed rather soon. Every time Loki or Jane made and attempt to hand them over to someone else, they began to scream, calming down as soon as they were in close vicinity with each other or back on their respective mother's chest/arm/stomach.

“Oh Norns, this is too cute to be real.”, Loki sighed with a chuckle when they finally had succeeded in dislodging the two tiny humans from their arms to settle them on the baby-blankets Frigga had woven for them, Éldi instantly looking over to Noelle and flailing his arms to tug at her jumper while she did the same. They fell asleep not soon after, one tiny fist buried in the fabric of the other babe's clothing. Jane groaned.

“I will not share a nursery with you, just that we're clear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually drew lots. Four times. It always ended with Loki/Tony getting another girl and Jane/Thor getting a boy. It was fate.  
> I spent four days with the whole naming thing. And yes, the couples did agree to name their kid after the others, deciding whom after when they were born. No, Loki really did not know that she would get a nephew. ;)
> 
> Tell me what you think. Deal stays the same for the time being.


	22. Of Babes and Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's December once again. The group travels to Asgard.  
> Of course Algrim is not far behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're killing me here. XD Really? Another eight? Goodness, people, you are astonishing.

 

 

“She is tiny.”, Ásdís piped, head craned up to watch Noelle sleeping in Tony's arms while she was leaning against him. Her Daddy grinned and pulled her closer to put a kiss on the messy head.

“She will grow. I remember that you were just as small when you were born.”

“Really?”

“Mh.”, Tony affirmed, and damn if he did not feel as if everything was damn fucking perfect right now. “You were so teeny-weeny that Thor could almost hold you in a single hand.”

“Are you sure that the baby is a girl?”, Dizzy asked, obviously still not completely convinced and sensing a chance for the strongly wished-for brother. Tony chuckled and stroked her hair.

“I'm really, really sorry that you didn't get your wish, but yes, Noelle is definitely a girl.”

Leaning her head against Tony's chest, gazing up from under her eyelashes directly into the face of Noelle, Ásdís frowned for a few moments before a very heavy sigh escaped her.

“Okay then, we can keep her if we must.”, she condescended, making her Daddy bite his lips in favour of not cackling.

“Pumpkin, that is very generous of you. Your Mama will be proud.”

Ásdís did not answer, fully engrossed with the baby, staring into her face and carefully taking Noelle's tiny fist to hold hands with her sister.

When Loki entered the living room some time after, both children were asleep, and Tony was occupied watching them with a smile so besotted and fondly it set her heart aflame with love for her husband. Again.

“No one will get my children, Lokes.”, he breathed, not once looking up. “I promise. I swear.”

“We will see them safe from whatever harm could befall them.”, Loki answered and sat down besides him. “Never doubt that.”

 

 

Once the babies were four weeks old, the gang decided to make a quick trip to Asgard, to introduce them to their grandparents. Steve briefly mused over the idea of using one of Loki's pathways, to irritate Algrim when they would not make a ruckus with their arrival, but as Pepper pointed out, it would be futile. The spell in the arc reactor would tell Algrim where they were, and Loki would not leave Tony all alone.

But this time Loki would be able to put all he had behind whatever retaliation he had to give, though. This time, there would be no hiding, no cowering, no standing back.

This time, Algrim would see what taking his daughter away from him would entail exactly.

“My Warriors will wait and accompany us to the palace, to ensure our well-being.”, Thor explained once he and Loki had discussed how to act best and how to keep the danger at a minimum.

“No stops at the market. No detours, no slowing down. We will ride as fast as we can without endangering the children.”, Loki added, all the while teasing Noelle with little pokes to her nose and making her follow his fingers, and she was squealing softly and smiling brilliantly. “I will try to enchant some trinkets with an escape spell, to give you the means to flee should it become necessary.”

“As long as Algrim is not secured somewhere deep down in some dungeon or worse, Bruce and Clint will sleep in Loki's quarters, okay?”, Tony went on, and the scientist as well as the archer nodded without blinking. “Point Break, you'll ask one of yours to stay?” Another nod.

“There will be a watch at every time of the day. We have been lucky to spoil Algrims plans as we did, but no longer I will take any chances.”, Thor answered. “May we count on all of you to have an eye on Jane and the children?”

“If he hurts one of them, we'll beat him to hell and back.”, Natasha promised. “There will be not enough left of him to be recognized should he succeed. But that's just Plan B. He won't get near them.”

“Good.”

 

 

Loki more or less set up a magical sonar around himself, constantly scouting for the Aether or Algrim's own magical signature that he knew by heart by now.

Fandral had been entrusted with Ásdís, sitting in front of him and enchanted as ever by the bright golden City that glittered like straight out of a fairytale, fascinated staring into the sky that merged the midgardian blue with a night sky that revealed colourful clouds of star clusters and galaxies.

Loki had strapped Noelle to his chest in a papoose, securing her with a stable hand while he steered Ranka over the bridge. Thor had been forced to bear with a baby sling as well, courtesy of Jane, as she trusted herself to ride, but not with a squirming Baby to watch over, and she sure as hell would not let him carry her son without any means of safety over a bridge that had no railing or something similar.

“Come on, no time to waste.”, Tony said, following his husband. They did not once slow down or take a glance to whomever they crossed, all focused on arriving at the stables without so much as presenting an easy target. By the time they passed Asgard's marketplace, Algrim was surely on his way already, and Loki was sure he would arrive within the next twelve hours tops.

As always, there were servants awaiting them, and as soon as the group had entered and the stables doors were closed behind them, they hurried forward and scurried off with their belongings.

“I have seen the repairs of my chambers have progressed well.”

Sif snorted and dismounted. “It is a wonder they were able to do anything at all with the sheer number of enchantments you have placed upon them.”

“Oh. Yes, I remember the two or three I worked which would make it exceedingly difficult to renovate.”

Noelle whimpered softly when she noticed the rocking had stopped, tiny fingers scraping over Loki's thin shirt, fisting the fabric.

“Hush, darling.”, he said, picking up the motion again to lull her back into slumber. “See, all is well.”

“Papa.”, Ásdís whispered and tugged at his trousers, leaning against his legs. “Papa, why are there so many officers?”

Taking one of her hands into his and squeezing softly, he smiled at his daughter's inquisitive gaze and reassured that the others were ready to enter the Palace.

“You remember the bad men that came and demolished our rooms? Well, the guards are here to ensure our safety. They watch out for us and will come to our aid should we need it.”

“Aha.”, she said and did not need to be told to follow him, she eagerly did so and let her gaze wander again. “Will Hulk smash the bad guys for us?”

“Sweetheart, I think the Other Guy would pulverize them if you so much as asked him.”, Bruce droned, making Loki snicker.

“He is excellent at smashing, he did a very good job with my spine.”

“You were up and about not ten minutes later.”, Tony reminded him with a gentle shove, sneaking his arm around his lover's waist and throwing a glance down at his daughters.

“Ah, but I _felt_ it for hours.”

“You git.”, the engineer grinned. Really, they should have known Loki (and Thor, by default) was all sorts of trouble after he had not even sported a single broken bone after his Meet&Greet with the Jolly Big Green at the very latest. “You totally set us up.”

“Perhaps. Maybe I just was tired of fighting.”

“Nah, confess. I totally had you flustered, can't deny it. I mean, you had performance issues and all...”

“Oh come on, that again? How should I know that little device countered the Tesseract because it practically is a baby-version itself?”

“Aren't you, I don't know, something like a genius yourself?”

“I have no need of measuring myself with others.”

“Children.”, Pepper chided with a stern voice. “I swear, sometimes you are the absolute worst.”

“We love you too!”, they chorused with matching grins.

“Is it just me or is this really, really creepy?”, Bruce asked drily. “They are practically an unit.”

“It is.”, Sif validated just as dry. “I am in constant vigilance around them both – Loki may be well known for his pranks and mischief, but your Man of Iron has the same gleam in his eyes. More than one person is wary what they could do together.”

“May I remind you that I did on occasion rope in Thor.”, the Trickster replied merrily, gently tickling his daughter's feet and making her squirm and squeal.

“Please don't. You and Thor together were no match even for the Allfather.”, Volstagg pleaded and made all the others laugh and snicker.

 

 

Éldi woke up the moment they sat foot into the private chambers of Odin and Frigga, crying like the World was about to end, and Noelle, not wanting to disappoint, joined the wailing with high-pitched screams which made her face red as a tomato.

“Oh gods, not that again.”, Jane muttered and gently pried the little boy off his Father's chest, quickly checking the nappy and his suckling reflex to determine what the problem was, in time with Loki.

“Hungry here.”

“Yep.”

“I know I have asked before, but is it _normal_ for not even remotely related kids to be in sync like this?”

Loki shrugged while shifting to female and sitting down somewhere, Jane copying her, placating the infants with a finger to their lips.

“Well, then it's lunch time, it seems.”, the sorceress sighed, already working on the buttons of her blouse. “The virtuous should look away now.”

“She means you.”, Tony said and elbowed Steve, who rolled his eyes.

“Really, does this joke never get old? I've been touring with a ton of girls for months. That's more than you can say for yourself.”

The engineer's mouth fell open. The rest cackled with glee, and Clint threw in a merry “Burn!”.

“My, I always seem to meet my grandchildren while hungry.”, an amused voice echoed from the other side of the room over to them, and heads were turned to acknowledge the arrival of the royal couple, striding forward with as much dignity as they could muster in the eagerness of seeing the babies for the first time. Before they could join the group, though, Ásdís had bounced forward with a happy “Grandma Frigga! Grandfather Odin! I have a sister! And a cousin! Is it normal that they cry a lot?” - Tony groaned amused.

“In light of their rigorous feeding cycle it would be surprising for you to see them in a sated state.”, Jane deadpanned and shifted her son a bit. “Now, why do you always eat like you're starving? Slow down, man, there's enough even for you and your appetite.”

“That he clearly inherited from his Daddy.”, Loki joked. Noelle took her time, as she always did, hungry, but soon replete and drifting into sleep while still attached to her mother.

“That is increasing.”, Tony observed when Loki carefully dislodged their daughter from her breast (what was more difficult than you now would believe without waking the child). She shrugged.

“I'm comfortable, apparently. Or rather, my boobs are.”

“Don't you dare comment that now.”, Bruce intervened when Tony opened his mouth, clearly some witty remark already on his tongue, switching to a pout instead.

“Mother. Father.”, Thor finally said, walking over and embracing the Queen lovingly while Ásdís rushed back to Loki and her sister (once she had accepted that she would have to wait for a brother, again, if she got one at all, the girl had begun to obsess about Noelle. It was bordering on creepy how she always was at her side, but kind of adorable, too...).

“The fates may bless your son and your family, Thor.”, she said with a bright smile and kissed his cheek. “I believe he is just as you, dear.”

The God of Thunder led her over to Jane, who just had finished feeding the still a bit cranky child, hushing him softly and settling him on her arm while stroking his back.

Loki watched them with a tiny pang of envy. Frigga had not even greeted her. Ah well. The first-born of the heir was surely more important than the second child of the second child.

Though the sorceress had not greeted as well. She would try not to interpret more into the situation as there was to see.

Ásdís shuffled out of the way and to her Mama's other side, making Loki raise a brow at the sudden change of places, just to look at the lately vacated spot and see Odin sit down besides herself with a fond expression on his face.

“All the blessings shall be with your family, Loki.”

The wry smile that forced itself on her lips made the feeling bittersweet.

Frigga had destroyed a lot on the God of Mischief, and it did not reassure her in the least that Thor's child obviously was more interesting for the time being. For all the love she held for her, there was still (yes, still – Loki did never trust easily) this weariness, this hesitation.

But _Odin_ was there. And that meant a lot more than she would confess to.

She sighed and shifted back, not wanting to have the tiniest disadvantage if something should happen.

“Thank you.”, he said and peeled back the blanket he had wrapped Noelle in a bit, just so that his father could have a better look at her round, rosy face with the curly black hair that framed it, and the tiny fingers that grasped at her onesie.

The Allfather's face lit up a bit more as he took in the soft features that greeted him.

“Mortals would describe her as angelic, or cherubic. Let me not search for a more fitting term, as I am sure there is none.”

Chuckling, the younger god shook his head and relaxed visibly. Noelle, with her sleeping habits not unlike a cat (quick naps, but a highly frequent occurrence), chose to wake up again, blearily blinking up with her big, dark blue eyes, smacking her lips.

“Oh no, Sweetheart, you've been fed not even half an hour ago, you can't be hungry again.”

“It is no hunger. She is testing her phonics.”, Odin explained with a smile. Noelle blinked and tried to orientate herself in the direction the sounds had come from.

“The child is barely a month old, Father. I am pretty sure she does not have the slightest idea what 'speak' is as of yet.”

“Ah, but that does not matter at all. Does she not smile at you? Does she not attempt to turn herself when lying down? She is pushing her boundaries every minute of every day.”

Loki raised his brow again. “Really now. Éldi has not done anything of what you said.”

A fond and soft laugh wormed itself out of the Allfather's throat, making his eye twinkle merrily.

“Thor was a lazy child, content with lying in his crib or on his blankets and doing absolutely nothing. You on the other hand were running around as soon as your little legs could carry you, much like your precious daughter here, and were muttering your first syllables in no time at all once you were here.”

Loki rolled his eyes. After a thousand years, one thought such stories would be forgotten in time.

“This is Tony's fault for constantly bending her ears all through the pregnancy. It's just like with Dizzy. For the record, that one's as bad as me.”, he then said, quite proud with his three-year old, a smug grin on his face. Noelle had achieved the feat of squirming around so much that she was now actively looking at her grandfather, who smiled at her, making her coo and flail a tiny arm at his beard.

Chuckling, the Trickster nudged her nose, getting back her full attention when she grabbed his finger in a tight grip.

“She is a charming girl, my son, and it is my avid desire to see her and her sister safe again.”

“Well then, kindly do me the favour of watching them while I fetch something to drink.”, Loki said with nonchalance, and without further ado handed over his baby girl to the utmost surprised Grandfather who did not appear overly comfortable.

At first he looked like he wanted to say something, but then Noelle grabbed his beard (finally able to reach it, ha!), and he tightened his grip around the tiny human being that his son trusted him with, a smitten smile on his face which his grandchild returned with a giggle.

Kissing Ásdís and turning to leave, Loki smiled a most secret smile and patted himself on the back for stunning the old fellow.

 

 

“He's at the west wing!”

“A group of Kursed is at the haven!”

“We must retreat! Let the dome rise!”

“Curse him to Hel and back.”, Thor muttered, running side by side with his brother to defend their families, Asgard, the Palace, and the peace of the Realms.

“Hel would not take him. Let him rot in Yggdrasil herself.”

“Even that would be too kind a fate.”

“Cease your whining and go _faster_.”, Sif urged them, close behind with the Warriors Three.

“Whatever you want.”, Loki answered with a devilish smirk and vanished, taking Thor with him. The Warriors groaned and rolled their eyes, but Loki returned the second after to help them along as well.

Transporting them to Algrim personally was no big feat. Remaining upright when the Dark Elf unleashed the true force of the Aether onto them was so much harder.

Loki had a plan, though.

Shedding his Aesir skin, he lunged forward, his bare Jotun skin touching Algrim's, and he screamed when frostbite blackened his arms at contact with a gruesome hiss, yanking his limbs away, puzzled at the close proximity Loki could get without the Aether pushing them away again.

The Trickster felt the Infinity Stone crawling nearer, curious with his energy and drawn to the new set of powers he had not shown before to it.

Before he could rip it from Algrim however, before he even could so much as summon the vessel, Thor sent lightning and thunder at their enemy, chasing him away, and the Elf bobbed up to attack the blonde, Aether flaring around the Prince.

Thor howled, and Loki saw red.

He held out his hand in the storm of ancient power, of raw energy buzzing all around the place, and summoned his innate ability to convert any given substance into clear ice and snow, freezing the Aether mid-air and stunning not only Thor and his friends, but Algrim as well.

Not to mention himself, but hey, it was his idea, he had hoped it would work.

Mjölnir shattered the blue-red shard of ice that had formed under the sound of cracking and gunshots in the matter of a single second. Loki turned to face Algrim again.

The Elf laughed. A superior, arrogant sound that sent shivers down his spine (despite being cold as ice at the moment), making the hair in his neck stand on end, his whole body bristling, because _why the hell was he laughing? His weapon was destroyed!_

And then he saw the shimmer, and the movement in the pieces of red ice strewn around.

 

 

In the end, Algrim had left when the Aether had returned to his body, escaping like he had all the times before, in his ship, too massive to freeze and hold even with the Casket.

Asgard had fended off the enemy once again.

Loki did not want to do it another time.

His nerves were getting frail.

It had to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Relish in whatever joy you can find here, Hell is about to break loose.  
> I mean it.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the continued interest and support, I really never would have thought to collect so many demands for the next chapter in such a staggering short time. I'm amazed and gobsmacked in the most perfect way. I swear I try to make it all good in the end.


	23. Into Eternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds things in the Palace that make his blood run cold, Algrim is stronger than they all believed.  
> Hell breaks loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING. I'll add some in the end notes. If you don't want to be too surprised, take the time and read them. It's nothing graphic, but emotionally huge. I don't want to give you any sorts of anxiety or panic attacks. I hope this works without spoilering you too much.
> 
>  
> 
> Really, guys, you shower me with love so fast I can hardly keep up. It makes me totally dizzy. (Pun intended. XD) Thank you. I cannot put that in words.

 

 

“It is indestructible. If Mjölnir cannot defeat it, nothing can.”

“Our only chance is to separate them and cage it?”

“Yes.”

Steve leaned back with a frustrated sigh, hand over his eyes and rubbing at his forehead in apprehension. The others made similar motions, all of them weary and oh so tired of fighting and fearing he could in the end defeat them and take Ásdís with him, to use her like a tool and scar her, ripping her from her home, her parents, her family, and her sanity in all likelihood.

“How do we do that?”

“Well, if I recall correctly, the Aether remains unbound for the moments it has to return to its natural state. I will try to lure it in then, if I can do so undisturbed.”, Loki proposed.

And well, it was their only idea so far.

It would have to do.

 

 

“Battle plans ready?”, Tony asked when they met up again some hours later, and Loki nodded half-heartedly.

“I'm sorry that you have to stay out of it, I know you hate not knowing what's happening.”

“I'll live. As long as I get to kick some ass at least.”

“Oh, you will.”, the god smirked and pulled Tony in for a needy kiss, hands gripping his ass and groping as soon as they had found their target. He grinned.

“Of course we could attempt to get Algrim to cancel his spell of his own accord. How dirty can we get, what do you think?”

“Snowflake, you don't even know half of what I am prepared to do to you.”

“Please don't.”

Chuckling, the married couple separated and turned around to see Bruce, rubbing his nose and sighing in measurable intervals, entering with Ásdís in his arms. She was fast asleep and clang firmly to her – still – favourite Uncle, and he stroked her back gently while bringing her over and getting her into bed.

“Aw, don't turn shy on us now.”, the engineer breathed and got out of the way, opening the door to the room she had her bed in, while Loki closed the door he had entered through.

“When will we leave again?”

“Probably soon. Not tomorrow, though, I need to make good on a promise.”, Loki answered and turned to the cot Noelle was currently lying in, flailing her little arms and legs then and now, watching her surroundings as well as the softly glowing mobile Loki had enchanted to spend her light, hanging from the ceiling.

“Well, keep us informed. Shall I tell the others you will not attend dinner, then?”

“That would be very kind of you.”

“I'll fetch you a servant. Tony's looking way too hungry for his own good.”, Bruce snickered, already leaving again.

Tony grinned.

“So, room service it is then?”

 

 

Noelle was the first to wake up the following morning, loudly demanding food and perhaps a nappy change, and Loki set to it with half-closed eyes, moving on auto-pilot.

Tony found her an hour later sitting in a rocking chair, Noelle sleeping at her Mum's chest, said Mum in dreamland as well, eyes closed and skidded down a bit. He absolutely snapped a picture of that before carefully waking his wife and taking their daughter out of her hands.

“I'll go get Dizzy, and then we're off to breakfast?”

“Sounds lovely.”

Loki asked Bruce and Steve to accompany him and the rest of the Stark-Family to the City, once they had finished eating, earning raised brows all around the table.

“Don't look so shocked, I merely have promised to have a quick look to my workshop.”, he explained, and Jane smiled when she remembered.

“Can I come, too? I'd love to see it.”

The sorcerer shrugged with a smile and tickled his newborn, lying in a bassinet besides him, fondly cooing at her when she gripped his fingers in a hold that could break human bones, probably.

“Let's make this a family trip. I've heard you have some awesome toys down there.”, Clint butted in, still nibbling on a slice of bread. Loki laughed.

“Tony's been bragging again? I assure you I do not keep any of my items in that place out of safety.”

“Aw man.”

“Well, I'll get Ellie fed, again, and we may go.”

 

 

“Hello? Anyone home?”

Silence. Loki frowned at the door and turned his head to glare at the closed windows of the Bakery before knocking again.

“Really? There we are, gracing you lot with our presence and you don't even deem us important enough to be there?”, he said, wringing chuckles and snickers out of his friends (most of them happily scouting his forge, unnerving the dwarfs to no end with their chatter just behind him), and finally there was movement behind the walls and someone shouted, then the door was ripped open.

“Forgive us, We've--”

“-- been busy? Good morning, Lady Helen.”, the sorcerer said smoothly and with a merry grin, eyeing the speechless woman in front of him.

“Is your daughter near? It has been ages since we spoke last.”

“Uh, yes, sure, Mylord...”, she stammered, turning around and calling for the girl quickly. When she looked back again, she was smiling and seemingly a bit more composed.

“How do we come across the honour of your visit, my Lord? Surely with the threat there is more to worry about than speaking to my child.”, she asked, gaze dropping. She let out a soft squeal before she could slap her hand in front of her mouth, staggering back a step. Loki grinned.

“Ah, but I have given a promise, and I intend to hold my word.”

In that moment there were steps on the stairs, and a pair of eyes widened when the girl recognized Loki, understanding the scene in front of her immediately.

“Prince Loki! And you brought the babe!”, she cried out and practically flew down the stairs to hug him tightly, making him chuckle and squeeze her gently.  
“Of course.”

The girl bend down to watch the tiny human being, lying in her bassinet and looking around while chewing on a finger.

“The Allfather had her birth announced a few weeks ago. She is so small.”

“Gudrun!”, her mother chided. “I thought to have raised a polite person.”

The child ducked and mumbled an apology, making Loki laugh and crouch down to lift his baby-girl out of her means of transportation.

“She is, you are right. So, how about you fetch the Smith's boys and then we'll introduce you all to Noelle? I think she might like you.”

He had never seen Gudrun run like that in all her life. She returned with the boys not five minutes later, their parents close behind, and Loki seldom had enjoyed a day in the heart of the city as much as he had done so that day.

 

 

Opting to return the day after he had held his promise, Loki wandered to his old chambers in the late afternoon, taking in the damage that was still visible, lifting any enchantments that would disturb the reparations, and taking some time to just _think_.

Just to frown when he sensed the faintest trace of a spell directly over his head.

Gently, as to not disturb the foreign magic, he let his own magic scurry closer, edging nearer and finding the ends and boundaries of the spell.

Loki felt utter terror and a deep fright settle in his bones once he had identified the consequences this enchantment would bring.

This... this would be their end.

 

 

Sleep did not come to him easy that night, his mind flooded with visions and scouting the whole area of the palace to see how affected they were in truth.

When tiredness overwhelmed him, finally, his dreams were filled with soft words and hushed tones that left him gasping and with terror in his heart. Then, darkness encompassed his soul.

Somehow, though, it almost calmed him. The usual panic in him when confronted with total blackness was washed away, and his mind cleared up.

By the time Loki awakened, he knew that Algrim would not let them leave.

 

 

True to his dreams, they did not.

Loki had wanted to, had spoken to all their friends and had asked to be gone in the early evening, but apparently, it should not be.

Algrim came back.

His force and army had grown, there were more Kursed than ever following his commands, and they wreaked havoc throughout all the City. Streets burned, houses were smouldering and crashing, citizens fled in panic and haste as soon as the alarms blared for them to get to safety.

“Stick to the plan!”, Steve screamed and waited for Loki to hand him the tiny Noelle, seemingly smaller in his big arms. The sorcerer kissed her forehead lovingly, gently stroking her hand with his thumb.

“Be brave and good for your Uncle, darling. We'll be back soon.”

He did the same with Ásdís, kissing her and reassuring the girl that all would be well as long as she would stick to Bruce and Sif.

“I love you, Munchkin, you know that, right?”

She nodded and hugged him tightly before repeating the action with Tony, who held her and stroked her hair while muttering soothing things.

“Go.”, he then urged them, and they did, taking Jane, Éldi and Sif with them.

“Will three be enough to see them safe?”, Thor asked worried, gazing after his wife and son. Loki just shrugged.

“We cannot afford to have more staying in. We need to fend off Algrim.”

Tony looked as troubled as his brother-in-law, staring after his daughters and gnawing at his lower lip. Loki squeezed his hand.

“Love, you need to concentrate on yourself now. Worrying over them will only make you vulnerable.”

The engineer sighed heavily and it tore Loki apart to see this anxiety and concerned brown eyes. He yearned to see them full of life and sorrow free, and soon.

“Only me and Thor know where they will be. Algrim will have to search for them, and while he does, we will attempt to make quick work of him. Please, Tony, trust us. We want to see them safe as much as you do. Concentrate.”, he asked in a whisper, leaning their foreheads together and cupping his face.

Oh Gods, there were tears in his husband's eyes. “Don't cry. They'll be fine.”

Strong hands clasped around his own, and the gaze from the engineer's face turned resolute and determined.

“Let's get the bastard.”

 

 

Clint had never seen a more sturdy opponent as the Kursed he currently was engaged against. He had already used three of his explosive arrowheads, two with the patented thermit-mixture that could melt practically everything, and five normal ones to distract it.

Nothing had worked. He was out of options. No way he would win should he choose to battle them one on one – he was an enhanced being, now, yes, but these creatures were enhanced beings of enhanced beings, in fact more than one step higher on the evolutionary ladder than himself, and Clint was just not dumb nor reckless enough to get his head in line of their hands.

Quickly climbing up to a higher oriel, he took in his surroundings and how the others fared.

Natasha and Tony were taking on two Kursed, trying to get it back into the water, and although it apparently worked (they had noticed that the cursed were not especially intelligent – must be a side-effect of the brainwashing Algrim had to do on them to work for him...), it was too slow to get all of them down like that.

The Warriors and Thor engaged in more active battle with them. It looked raw and brutal, both sides getting mean swings, the Kursed burning nasty wounds in the Aesir (and Vanir, in Hogun's case) skin, but that did not stop them from giving back everything. Thor released lightning that would have caused black-outs all over the U.S., and it evidently slowed down the Kursed, but stopped them not completely.

All in all, the battle seemed to be a lost cause. Even with the added force of Asgard's finest warriors and Einherjers, under command of Odin, Clint did not know how this scenario could possibly end in favour to them.

In that moment, the archer caught the blue figure of Loki cutting through the army of Kursed with the Casket, and Clint thought to feel the chill even from up high where he sat.

Sadly enough, Algrim had yet to make an appearance. The jerk had not shown his face until now, and it was really, really alarming.

“Holy hell, that was so not in my job description.”

 

 

The City was stuffed with an eerie atmosphere, courtesy of the still burning buildings that collided with the Ice the streets were coated in, hissing and cracking filling the air with thick smoke and mist. It had taken so long to take care of all the Kursed, and Algrim still had not been spotted. Where was he?

Natasha shuddered when she nursed a nasty cut on her cheek, wiping away the blood and hoping that it would heal fast.

Breathing hard, she looked around, taking in Tony and the Suit, scratched, but all in all whole, thanks to the new alloy.

“You okay?”, he asked, hinging up the visor, and the russian spy nodded curtly while she let her eyes wander around to see if they had missed anything.

“Let's get back. Something's fishy.”

 

 

They met up with the rest in the stables, rushing to the palace and exchanging what little information they had.

“Algrim is here.”, Loki growled. “I can feel the Aether. What has me worried, though, is the presence of another energy. I can only assume what he has brought here, and if I should, I would bet on another Stone.”

“Then he has the Gauntlet at hand.”, Thor nodded. “We should opt to return it to our possessions.”

“First the children and Jane.”, Fandral said, and the group consented.

They would always be first priority to all of them. Crossing the huge courtyard, Loki slowed down and finally stopped, frantically looking around, landing on a spot on the other end and immediately shattering the spell that hid the cursed Dark Elf from sight.

“Stop going after my child.”, he hissed, and the Elf laughed hard, making Thor and the rest turn around and regroup around Loki. “The second you harm her, I will kill you. Slowly.”

“How will you have time for that, little Trickster?”, he cackled. “As soon as you have returned to your state as vessel, the Aether will make use of your power, and you will not be able to do anything at all. You will provide the power, while she will provide the means to amplify it. How fitting, to see Father and Daughter act for the same cause.”

“Never.”

Releasing the Aether, Algrim lunged forward, and Loki did the same in his Aesir skin, repulsing the force and sending a hot lance of fire against the Elf, scorching his garments and skin at the same time.

A new wave of Kursed forced their way inside the Palace, plowing straight through the high walls and turning them into rubble. Thor and the Warriors engaged immediately, and soon after the courtyard was filled with screams and the sound of metal and steel grinding, often interrupted by the hissing sound the Aether emitted when flaring out, countered by one of Loki's countless spells.

Ten minutes into the fight, Algrim produced the Infinity Gauntlet, empowered with a glowing blue sphere.

_ Yggdrasil and all the Realms, please don't let him know what he could do with that. _ Loki thought, a quick prayer to whatever deity would listen.  _But that explains how he could find enough... volunteers for his army._

“You see this, Loki? This will be your downfall!”

It very well could be.

“Never will my mind bend to your will.”

Lunging forward again, Loki waited for the right moment to cancel his glamour, and when Algrim was still stumbling back from the Aether's push, the Frost Giant knocked him over to the ground, kicking him hard into the stomach and freezing as much skin as he could while opening any magical 'slots' he had to lure the Aether in.

The Stone came willingly, still interested in the new power, and while Algrim lay screaming on the soil, Loki thought that this time, he could do it.

He ripped away the Gauntlet, flinging it as far away as he could while the first thin tendrils of the Aether made its way over to his eyes, red meeting red.

“You will never succeed.”, the Trickster hissed and called the Obsidian-Uru-Vessel to his hand, spell already on his lips.

 

 

The explosion that rocked the palace was enough to stop even Algrim's screams and make him look over to his side where giant boulders fell from the golden domes and buried parts of the courtyard.

Loki scrambled up without a second thought, a shrill “No!”, falling from his lips as he stumbled over to the rocks and destruction, Thor over at his side in barely a breath, clawing at the stone with bare hands. Fandral and Volstagg rushed over to secure the Gauntlet as soon as they had a moment to think.

Using the chance, Algrim vanished, and the Kursed retracted with him, leaving behind devastation and ruin. Tony and Natasha were panting harshly, standing some feet away from where Thor and Loki were still trying to remove the boulders. The rubble shook, and then the Hulk broke free with a giant roar, shocking them all into a stupor.

If the Hulk had been buried under there...

“Oh Heavens, no.”, Tony breathed, and Natasha was turning a decidedly ghostly shade of pale.

The green Giant carefully moved around, leaned forward, and after a second there was the harsh screaming of the two infants that were just four weeks old. Coughing, Steve and Jane emerged from the stones, one child in each set of arms, and they stumbled out of the destructed room, out of the deadly trap, outside. Thor looked relieved and pulled his family close, making sure they were okay, while Tony and Natasha had joined Loki.

“This cannot be.”, the sorcerer whispered, a broken sound, eyes already wet with the horror and fear that his eldest child was still buried under boulders big enough to kill Thor.

“Tony, make sure Noelle is okay.”, Natasha ordered, and he did so without thinking, shedding the suit and cradling his crying girl to his chest.

The Hulk came over and gingerly removed stone after stone.

 

 

When Odin and Frigga arrived at the Courtyard to inquire about what had happened, they found desolation.

Thor was embracing Jane and his son, thick tears in his eyes that rolled down his cheeks while Jane was sobbing slightly. Natasha, Clint, and Steve were softly speaking with Bruce, who appeared to be on the verge of loosing control, clawing at the ground, breathing laboured and harsh, while Tony sat beside him, Noelle sleeping on his chest, a shaking hand stroking her back, empty, red-rendered eyes trained firmly on some far away point.

The Warriors Three knelt besides the still form of Sif, body bruised and lifeless, hair grey with debris and dust, no one speaking a single word. Their breath was caught in their throats when realisation settled in.

What had them stopping, though, was the sight of their second son.

Loki was leaning against a boulder, formerly part of the wall that should have protected them, the eerily still body of Ásdís pressed tightly to his body, holding her and rocking her. He softly kissed her wild locks, unruly as ever, and her face, held her hand and whispered words so lowly no one could possibly understand them.

She was pale, even paler than her Father, and her eyes were closed, mouth slightly agape. Blood matted her hair, making it glisten and stick to her skin. There was no movement in her small body that looked so incredibly frail at that moment.

There was no breath left in her.

 

 

Asgard lit candles that evening, a myriad of little lights that illuminated the City and the Palace, a fruitless attempt to return some of the light that had left their World that day.

A brave Warrior, a strong woman, and a loyal friend had given her life in the attempt to save the Princess. Lady Sif would be remembered in their songs and tales, and her shield-brothers would make sure to have her remembered like the fierce woman she had been in life.

At the same time, Asgard had lost a Princess, a small child enchanting any person she came across with a set of eyes the colour of chocolate and emeralds, and a laugh so bell-like that it had warmed more hearts than not.

 

On that day, the Realm had lost Sif.

 

 

And they had lost Ásdís.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional warnings that will appear in the tags once the chapter isn't as new, to keep the surprising effect.  
> \- Major character death.  
> \- Children will come to harm  
> \- emotional trauma
> 
>  
> 
> ACTUAL END NOTES
> 
> Oh gods, I am so sorry.  
> Please don't hate me.  
> (Deal still active. Give me your opinions. I really want to know what you think. And I totally understand if you despise me now. I cried writing that. Worst part? It's not over.)  
> Actually, I can explain the Title now. It's from the Thor-Dark World Soundtrack, track#7. It's the funeral scene.  
> I did warn you.


	24. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grief (n): keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.  
> Tony isn't sure in which circle of Hell he has been thrown in.  
> He's sure that even the Devil couldn't be this evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listen to the Thor2 OST while sitting in the car all the time - I recommend listening to the track I referred to last time when you hit the last third of the chapter.  
> Who watched the movie will see parallels. You don't have to, but it surely will increase the vibes.  
> NOT recommended at work or other public areas, as it always brings tears to my eyes.  
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMbsr3yrcyI  
> Hope you have recovered somewhat after the shock.

 

 

Tony knew what grief felt like.

Jarvis had died when he was at MIT. The student had felt as if someone had ripped open a hole under his feet, he had lost all ground and footing. The butler had been more of a father than Howard had ever been, and it hurt so much Tony fled into alcohol and drugs for some time.

He had lost his parents with 21, and although their relationship was strained at best, he had lost what little family he had been able to call his own, what had remained.

He had mourned them all, in various stages of intensity, given, but he knew the feeling.

Yinsen dying for him had turned his imminent grief into the desperate attempt to become the hero he could be, he _should_ be.

When Obie betrayed him, it felt like burying him. There was sadness when he finally did so a few weeks later, after SHIELD had 'fished' his body from the sea. There was pain, and there was another hole in his chest that seemed to hurt more than ever.

Not long ago, Tony had almost lost Loki. While a sudden death without any warning in advance was shocking, knowing that you would lose the most important person in your life was so very much harder. The engineer preferred the shock over the waiting. Any time.

But this?

This was madness. Grief was too soft a word, too imprecise and vague, too mild for what he felt right now.

Tony felt like going crazy. He wanted to climb the walls and scream, shout, destroy something, burn everything after blowing up whatever he came across.

At the same time, there was a black hole in his chest, where his heart used to be, that sucked in all emotions and left a void space of Nothingness behind, filling him with emptiness and apathy.

He desperately wanted to let loose, to surrender to mania and rage, but he couldn't. He needed to remain sane, for two good reasons.

Reason one was currently sleeping on the big bed in their new chambers, looking as if nothing at all was wrong in the World. Noelle did not know what had happened. She did not know of her sister, or of Sif.

She just slept and ate and smiled when Tony looked at her, cooing at him with her soft, high voice, and her Daddy needed his marbles intact for that little girl that still needed him, even when he felt like dying inside for losing one of the best things that ever happened to him (a perfect tie with Loki and Noelle).

Reason number two was lying at her side, green eyes wide and staring into nothingness, red with the constant flow of tears that somehow did not stop coming. Loki had his left hand one Noelle's belly, softly stroking her chest with his long thumb, and the engineer was glad he had calmed down like that, even if this bordered on languor and apathy.

While Tony felt like going crazy, Loki very literally was _mad_ with grief.

Once Odin had managed to talk him into letting go of Ásdís, he had pulled himself to his feet and had broken Thor's nose not two seconds after, screaming at him and set on punching him again, and it had needed Steve and Volstagg to hold him back.

“You were supposed to protect them!”, the sorcerer had yelled, shrill and high-pitched, wet streaks on his cheeks. “You said you would keep them safe!”

“Brother--”

“You _swore_!”, Loki had shrieked, painting the perfect image of an animal in pain and rage, with his eyes wild and crazed, shaking like a leaf, barely able to hold himself upright without the two men at his sides.

Apparently Thor had volunteered to act as shield between the room and the courtyard should they meet Algrim somewhere around there, to protect the vulnerable part of their family while Loki would take care of the Elf. Tony could understand where his husband came from and why he was angry, but Thor was not at fault. He had not known about the Kursed that would choose this particular place to breach the walls and that they would take a load-bearing structure with them, effectively bringing down the roof and all that was around.

It was the ultimate bad luck.

And it had cost two precious people their lives.

Tony sighed tiredly. He couldn't deal with this.

“Loki.”, he called softly, but there was no visible reaction. The sorcerer blinked, but that was perhaps not because of his husband.

“Lokes. Wake up now.”

Nothing. He continued the gentle caressing directed at his newborn, but otherwise there was nothing that pointed to him being aware of anything.

It was creepy, to say the very least.

Sighing anew, Tony left the room and went to search for his friends.

 

 

“How is he?”

“Bad.”, the engineer huffed. “It's like he is not outside here any more. He's freaked out, completely, I've never seen something like that.”

“Does he... does he still...”

Oh gods, a crying Thor was the worst thing Tony had ever encountered. The big blonde practically shook with sobs, and it almost had him feel bad for him, would there not be that overwhelming sadness hanging somewhere between his ribs where his heart had sat just hours ago.

“He's beside himself. I'm sure he did not mean what he said, Thor. You're not at fault, and I don't blame you. If anything, it's me. After all, I brought them here.”

He rapped softly against the arc reactor, withholding that he had almost ripped the damn thing out, and if it would kill him so be it. Somehow, involuntarily, he had been made the murderer of his own daughter. It burned like acid, a soaring pain that consumed him wholly.

“No, you're not responsible. It was back luck... Is he alone?”, Bruce asked softly from the windows, still having a wide green ring in his irises, proof how unstable he was at the moment, now that his Dizzy was gone.

He had not been able to protect her, even when in close proximity. The scientist was obviously furious with himself, and no amount of talking would change that at the moment.

Tony was not the only one who had lost someone.

Gods, how would they tell Pep?

“No, I've asked Nat to keep him company. He's too vulnerable to be alone right now.”

“You're quite calm. I... would have thought you would do something rash.”

Mirthlessly chuckling, Tony collapsed on the couch and buried his face in his hands, rubbing at his eyes to force away the tears that threatened to spill and destroy what little composure he had.

“I don't even know whether I'm coming or going. I still hope to wake up any time soon now. Whatever the hell happened, I just can't believe it's the truth, or reality.”

“We all don't. She can't be... she just can't.”, Bruce finished whatever thought just had crossed his mind.

Despite all this, though, somewhere deep inside, Tony knew it to be the harsh, bitter truth. That this was no nightmare he would wake up from, that his girl would jump on his stomach and smile at him while bombarding him with her usual crazy amount of questions.

That Ásdís was dead.

It stabbed his heart like a white-glowing dagger, and he doubled over when his mind made the connection, one fist clawing at the beating organ – _why was it still beating? There was nothing to live for any more_ – and he started to hyperventilate as soon as he felt these last few hours seep into his brain and infest every thought with 'She's dead'.

He could relate why Loki chose to accept the madness with open arms, this time.

 

 

Whatever life there had been in Asgard, now, the City as well as the Palace were a solid block of silence, not even hushed words crossing the floors or the streets. The people pursued their work, but they lacked any kind of happiness or even the remote delight in what they did. The market was full of sullen faces, heads were lowered, and when Loki stepped out of their rooms, whomever was in his way stepped aside with the knowledge that he was mourning the loss of his daughter, that he needed space and as little contact as possible.

It had been a full day since the attack. News had spread so fast it was actually scaring, and not three hours after the whole ordeal the first candles hat been lit for the lost child and the lost warrior.

Loki knew the pitiful looks and stares followed him on his way to the healing rooms – how utterly ironic to prepare the dead where the living fought to remain in that state – but he did not acknowledge any of it.

He had a daughter to care for.

 

 

“They seem so... composed.”, Steve said while watching the Warriors Three ardently stacking wood on a growing pile, and while they were not in the least joyous, not even the tiniest positive emotion in their faces, they did neither look like Tony nor Thor, both still on the verge of crying every time they had five minutes to think about what had transpired.

“It is not unusual to lose a friend in battle. Sif died in honour, a fate that many will envy her for.”, Frigga explained in her soft voice, gently laying her hand on Steve's arm while overseeing the building of the pyres. “It is not often that a warrior will shed tears for a brother, or this time, sister-in-arms that fell in battle. Weeping is not for them.”

“Thor does, and Tony.”

“As does Loki. But they have lost family. There is no reason not to mourn a daughter, or a niece.”

Steve sighed. They missed her already. There was no small girl constantly asking questions, or traipsing around them while playing a game that only she knew the rules for. There was no small body pressed to either of them when she was too tired to make it into bed. There was no Ásdís around any more, and it hurt even more than waking up in a foreign World and being told that all you had had was gone.

“Odin has thrown himself into the task of finding whomever is responsible. He has not slept since yesterday in the attempt to see something from his throne. Huginn and Muninn are away constantly. He will do whatever necessary to see her avenged.”

“And what of you?”

“Me? I mourned my son three times, and he came back every single one of them. I have grown to believe in wonders and miracles.”

Steve did not have the guts to tell her that there would be no secret plot unfolding when Algrim was done. Loki had been the instigator to all these, and he was barely able to put himself together now.

There were no miracles happening in real life.

 

 

Eir showed Loki to the secluded room both Sif and Ásdís were in quietly. She knew what he was here for, and she would aid him should it be necessary. Two days were left.

“Have you spoken to your husband? He needs to know.”

“I will not bury her in soil and trap her soul on Midgard.”, he spat, and his usual soft and smooth voice was harsh, raw, bitter and coarse, giving him an aura of desperation and forlornness that did not match the man he was – had been.

He reeked of chaos, though, and of a mind led astray. Perhaps it was his fate to encounter this state over and over again.

“Shall I speak to him in your stead?”

She was not answered right away. Loki gently traced the soft, round face of his daughter, hand shaking when he noticed the coldness, and his head dropped as he took hold of her hands to lift them and place tender kisses to her palms.

“Do if you wish so.”, he rasped, and with that closed her out of his awareness.

Eir remained standing where she was for some time, watching him clean the small body of Ásdís, such a frail creature in the end, standing in the way of two forces.

The Healer left when Loki began to heal her wounds.

She did not want to intrude any more than she already had and went to find the other Father.

 

 

Preparations were made for the funerals. Tony watched them with uncaring eyes as he held Noelle to his chest, the little girl squirming around in search for Éldi. They knew when the other was in the same room, it was as if they were joined at the hips – they would cry as long as they were not in seeing distance (what was not really much with four weeks).

“Hush, baby-girl, let your Uncle bring him over. Patience.”, he mumbled, pressing a gentle kiss to her head while she made quiet noises, mewling, the only way to express her wants and needs.

“Hey, Big Guy. How are you?”

Thor's gaze dropped to the floor before he closed his eyes with a pained sigh.

“Loki threw me out. He will not speak to me.”

“Give him a bit more time. He'll come around.”

At least Tony hoped he would. There was no way he could cut off Thor or Jane now, _now_ , when he needed his family more than ever. Thor was the only one to share this crushing hopelessness with, this shattering grief, because while Loki still cared for every little whim Noelle had, he was a positive hermit right now, closing himself off for hours on end in that healing room where he cleaned and embalmed both Sif and Ásdís on his own, no other allowed entry.

Perhaps it was his way to cope.

Tony wished he would be there for him. He could be there in return.

“I fear to have lost him as well. I cannot let this happen, Anthony.”

The engineer sighed and patted the blonde's arm. “It's going to be okay. I don't know how, I really don't, but have a bit of faith. He loves you, and he needs you.”

 

 

Loki felt Eir's eyes on him as he put Ásdís gently in one of her dresses made in the Palace. He took his time. This was important.

Tony held himself admirably. He was proud of his husband for remaining standing, for comforting Thor while in desperate need of consoling himself.

He sighed. Norns, how he missed her already.

“Just be patient, Munchkin. I'll come soon.”

 

 

“You are agreeing to the Asgardian ceremony?”

Tony shrugged. “I don't give a flying fuck. I don't want to bury her at all, but I have no choice. We're here, so let's give her the ceremony that will make Loki content. Perhaps he'll get better after.”

Natasha looked at him like he was a small child, watchful and ready to intervene as soon as there was any sign of distress (not that he was not in constant pain or something like that).

“How can you be like this? The Tony I know would throw a fit already. He would rage and scream and smash something.”

“I've got Noelle and Loki to care for. I can't lose it, too. I don't have time to freak out. I need to be strong.”

Nat sighed before pulling him into a hug that he could not fight even if he wanted to.

“Don't bottle it up.”

He shook his head. “I'm empty already. I feel like someone took the biggest and most rusty spoon in history to carve out my insides completely. I'm a shell. A husk, and Dizzy has taken most of what I was with her. But as long as Loki is this... _seclusive_ , I need to be the mature person for once.”

His gaze fell on the two-way-mirror. He swallowed hard to get rid of the tears and disentangled himself from his best friend to grab the thing and activate it. Flaring up with a piercing flash, it made the connection to the office the counterpart was stored in for the time being.

The red-head sitting in front of it jumped with surprise.

“Jesus fuck, Tony! Warn a girl!”

“Hi, Pep.”

It took her all but a second to switch from angry to worried as soon as she saw him.

“What's going on?”

He could not answer. He tried, he really did. But there was a lump the size of Africa in his throat, and a fresh bout of tears gathered in his eyes. Pepper's blue ones widened – seeing Tony like this was proof that something was seriously wrong.

“Give me five minutes. I'm coming. Stay where the fuck you are, Stark.”

 

 

True to her word, she appeared not long after in the rooms Loki and Tony had been given as long as their original chambers were still not usable.

“Where are the others?”, she asked, and Tony leaned back in the reassurance that there was another person to have his back should he break.

“Thor and Jane are with Odin and Frigga, Steve and Clint are down at the shore. Bruce needed some time alone, Loki's at the healing ward.”

“Oh gods. What has happened? Where's Dizzy?”

The smile that spread Tony's lips before he covered his face with his hands was the most disturbing thing she had ever seen.

Natasha shook her head.

“She's dead, Pep. She was buried under rocks when that Freakshow attacked, and was killed alongside Sif who tried to protect her.”, Tony then said, and the thickness of his voice betrayed his calm words. 

The choked sob that escaped his CEO would echo in his ears forever.

 

 

When darkness fell over Asgard on the third day, the citizens gathered in the streets with glowing orbs in their hands, softly illuminating the City and the palace. There were candles, too, painting golden light against walls and floors, reflected in the water that would carry their fallen Princess and Warrior into eternity.

They had placed both bodies on the same boat. Loki had insisted that they be burned together, as they died together, and really no one wanted to oppose the sorcerer right now.

When the boat entered open water, the people sent their orbs into the sky, to guide the souls into Yggdrasil, and Odin took a step back while subtly offering Loki Gungnir, to release the souls from the mortal remains that were lying side by side in the boat.

“Do not propose him to me again shall I not burn every patch of Asgard to the ground right now.”, his son had replied, staring into the darkness, eyes fixed on the black spot that moved to the rim of the Realm. “Do it yourself, as I cannot.”

The Allfather had nodded softly, raising the spear once and bringing him down again, giving the signal to ignite the pyre.

Clint had never, _never_ before shaken so bad while a bow had sat in his hand.

As he raised the burning arrow, his vision clouded over, and the uncontrollable sobbing he tried to stifle almost made him miss his target as he let go.

The pyre caught alight with a brilliant light, and the archer would forever remember the hollow pull in his chest as the brisk and blazing fire consumed the reason he had been able to let go his past.

Gungnir was raised for a second time, shortly before the boat would fall over the cliffs.

When Odin set him down on the ground again, the silver-white mist of souls set free caught their attention to the horizon, and in the sea of tears and mourning all around them, Loki was the only one who did not shed a single tear, rigidly standing at his place, frozen still and unresponsive even to Noelle's soft cries.

The boat fell, taking the warmth with it, and the fragments of light ascended into the night-sky, swirling, entwining, and finally mingling with the clusters of brightness that was Yggdrasil herself.

Tony besides him released a sound close to a dying animal, laden with pain and grief, sadness, overwhelming loss and so much anger.

They were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys still with me? I know exactly how you feel - think of me writing it. I was shaking like a leaf. When I first thought about it, I cried myself to sleep.  
> This is #24. We have nine left, just for your information.  
> Thanks for staying with me. I pledge and promise improvement of the situation.  
> Just, err, later.


	25. Face the Fates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki deteriorates.  
> Is there left a chance for happiness?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, guys, I'm running out of chapters oO  
> The story ends with chapter 33, and really, I had anticipated that I'd be able to post these last six (seven with this one) over the course of the next week at best, if you'd leave me a few words, but what you have done is...  
> I can't even put it in words. I'd never expected this kind of feedback. I'm stunned speechless.  
> There are no words to describe how fuzzy you make me feel inside. Thank you. Really. I appreciate every single word. *sniffles*
> 
> And, oh yeah - it stays a bit darker. Was expected, though, wasn't it?

 

 

They returned home as soon as the whole group had gathered in the halls. Éldi and Noelle had been fussy for hours, whining and whimpering with emotions they could not understand or voice yet, sensing the absolute distress all around them.

Heimdall looked as worse as any of them. He had lost his sister, after all, and Tony sometimes forgot that Sif had been a beloved friend and member of a family as well. He was ashamed as soon as he remembered, but could not bring himself to care much in light of what he had lost.

As harsh as it sounded, Sif had lived a thousand years, loved and liked by the masses, and had died as any perfect warrior envisioned. Of course she was mourned, but she had lived a fulfilled life.

Ásdís on the other hand had been barely three years old, had just begun her adventure, and it was just not fair that she was ripped from them, from life so soon, and like that.

Tony liked to think she had not suffered unnecessarily, that it had been as quick as possible, that she did not know what happened to her, and that she hadn't been afraid.

He couldn't be sure, though, and that made it all the harder. For all he knew, she could have been hit, but not unconscious, waiting for someone to rescue her, in pain and full of fear, probably crying and calling for them.

Tony shook his head forcefully. There was no point in 'if's, and Tony would like to return to normal as soon as possible, to have a clear head when Algrim came back. And he would.

They had claimed back the Infinity Gauntlet and what appeared to be the Mind Stone (what made the staggering number of Kursed suddenly explainable, somehow), and the Elf would surely want them back, along with the Tesseract and the Soul Stone Loki had stored somewhere while in his Jotun skin.

Loki had not improved at all. It had been a week, a terrible week, and they were all forlorn and trying to get their feet back on the ground, what proved to be a lot harder than any other situation they had to crawl out off yet.

The sorcerer had banished every little thing that Ásdís had ever touched, had ripped apart her plushies and toys before tossing them into the trash, and even got rid of the photographs they had framed and arranged on the walls.

Nothing pointed out that there had been a three year old living here, that there had existed another child, and it made Tony gag and puke the moment he understood that Loki wanted to _forget_ her.

The engineer had been violently sick for the following two days, retching painfully every time he even tried to understand why in Hell Loki would choose oblivion to their daughter, grief and mourning or not. She did not deserve to be forgotten.

But Loki had continued to rid the penthouse of everything that was hers, short of ripping the paint from the walls and moving out, apparently, and prowled around the place like a caged panther, bristling as soon as another human being besides Tony or Noelle entered the rooms, downright hostile when he got scent of Thor being in the vicinity. Then he bared his teeth and snarled, throwing nasty words at his brother and blamed him for murdering his daughter, even if anyone else knew it had been not his fault at all.

Thor took it to heart, though, and removed himself completely from their penthouse.

Some times in between, Tony would find Loki sobbing harshly, huddled in some corner or under the blankets, curled into himself to make himself smaller, and he would sigh and sit down besides his husband, leaning his head on his shoulder and try to worm his hands into the tight ball of sorcerer to grip one of his ice-cold ones, attempting to calm him down again.

“It's okay, Lokes. It will be okay.”, he was whispering softly when Loki had broken down again, detached and apathetic one moment, crying and screaming the next.

“Norns, Stark, will you finally _cease_ to tell me these lies!”, the god then yelled and shuffled away while wiping at his eyes with his sleeves. “It's not! Nothing is _ever_ going to be okay again!”

“Probably not, no. But you're not the only one grieving, you know? I lost her, too.”

“Oh, do tell me how you mourn, you, the perfect image of control and calmness. Don't dare to tell me you have the slightest notion of how I feel.”

Ouch. Now that was way below the belt. Way, way below.

“She was my daughter, too. I loved her as much as you. Still do and will forever. But there is another girl that needs my love, too, and you did not make the best impression on me as well, so I chose to shove away my own feelings for the moment to be able to care for you.”

Loki laughed. The sound was nasty, and horrible, not related to the rich sound he had when truly amused, and there was a dangerous glint in his eyes.

“Oh come on now, you'll never know how I feel. _I_ was the one to carry her, to feel her as soon as she was more than a blotch of cells inside my belly, and we were so much closer than you could ever hope to be, just as I will be nearer to Noelle just because I am the one who helped her grow and shielded her for the first few months. There is a bond between us that you'll never have.”

Double-ouch.

“Stop, Loki, before you'll say something you'll regret later.”

“Stark, there is _nothing_ I could say and regret. I never regret speaking the truth. You'll be second best forever, whatever you touch as long as I am there.”

When had Loki decided that he was worthless? That he was a lesser man?

“Okay, I get it that you're still very upset. Perhaps you should cool down a bit.”

“Go to Hell, Stark.”, Loki hissed and left the room.

Tony sighed and rubbed his eyes. Damn, he could not deal with a pissy god right now on top of the hell he already was in.

 

 

It went downhill from there. Even more than it already had.

Loki became inimical to all of them. He growled every time Tony mentioned Thor's name and almost jumped him as soon as he took Ásdís' name in his mouth.

There was that constant shimmer of madness in his eyes, a deranged reminder that Loki was still a very dangerous and potentially deadly man that was wired to protect himself first.

It was like watching a schizophrenic person walk around. Loki was as watchful of Noelle as he always had been, feeding her and waking up in the middle of the night when she barely had a chance to voice her discomfort, and he was the same, gentle Papa to her he had been for their late daughter.

On the other side, he was scaring Tony on a regular schedule with the things he said and muttered when he thought nobody listened to him (he had taken on to speaking with himself over the week. It was weird, to say the least).

“It was a mistake. I should have never come here.” was a favourite. Tony had heard that one regularly, followed by “It's not like me to sit still and play _housewife_.”

There had not been any kind of love between them since...

No touches, no kiss, Loki sometimes even refrained from sleeping in the same bed as his husband, instead walking around (Jarvis kept track of him) the whole night and taking over to sleeping on the couch or taking the bed as soon as Tony was up and about.

It added to the already sore wound the engineer sported, like rubbing in salt, that he seemed to lose Loki. Again.

Three days into the second week, Loki woke up to Tony sitting besides him, bleary eyes taking a few seconds to recognize, but then he leaped out of the bed in a hurry and brought distance between them, green eyes poisonous, crazed, and void of any recognition.

“What in Yggdrasil's name am I doing here, Stark?”, he hissed, and Tony's heart broke again when he realized that Loki had somehow erased him from his memory, whether intentionally or not did not matter. He swallowed heavily against the bile rising in his throat.

“You're living here, Loki. With me.”, he managed to say, his voice somehow not failing him, and the foreign man that stood at the wall gazed at him before his eyes widened, a heavy breath escaping.

“Anthony.”, he whispered, and his eyes lost the mad touch for a few seconds before clouding over again. “Ásdís.”, he choked, and the spark of 'real Loki' vanished again.

Tony began to lose hope.

 

 

“Perhaps it would be wise to take him to Asgard again. Eir could have the means to help him.”

“I can't deal with this on my own. I'm still trying to get back on track, and it really does not help that Loki seems to revert back to his crazy invading self. I need him, but more than I need him I need him _sane_. And he's getting pretty psycho there. I don't know when he decides Noelle was a mistake as well and disposes of her.”, Tony spat bitterly, knocking down two fingers of scotch.

“I will take him.”

“He's bound to throw you out of the window. Not a fun experience, I can tell you.”

“He has thrown me through a palace wall once, I can relate.”, Thor replied drily. “Do not worry. I will see him safe.”

“See yourself safe, too.”

 

 

Tony had not anticipated Thor shackling and gagging Loki again, but hey, whatever got the job done without hurting himself or his husband too much.

The desolate god seemed oddly placated in his binds, almost calm, as if this was something he could handle without getting totally crazy.

“I'll come by tomorrow. I can't stay away from him, I promised to be there whatever happens. He needs me.”

Thor nodded once. “I will await your return.”

A few seconds later, he was gone.

Noelle began whimpering.

Tony cried.

 

 

“I did not remember these infernal things to be that uncomfortable.”

“Shut up, Loki.”

 

 

The Avengers plus Jane had not hesitated to accompany Tony, stating that he could very well need them, and Loki was their friend, too, he probably needed them as well, needed to see he was part of their weird family.

Gods, how Tony hoped it would help his husband. He felt wrecked, and he was sick and tired of feeling like this.

Frigga and the Warriors Three greeted them, inquiring over their well-being and welcoming them again. They looked composed, more so than the humans were, at least, and perhaps this was what they all needed. Someone in control.

Because not one of them was. They were haywire.

“Come. We will see what they have achieved since yesterday.”

The engineer dreaded the moment he would have to face Eir and hear that there was nothing she could do for Loki. Instead, they found him in his rooms. It was... soothing to see the god had succumbed to sleep at last, spread out in their (his?) bed, breathing deeply, lines and wrinkles smoothed over in sleep and exhaustion.

Thor sat beside him and watched how he was doing, alert to any nightmare and disturbance that would add to Loki's current state of madness.

Tony felt his heart leap when he saw Ásdís' necklace wrapped tightly around his lover's hand. He sighed relieved and pressed Noelle a bit more to his chest.

“He is torn between these different versions of himself, and though he has experienced much happiness and joy with you, he seems to think that eternal solitude will spare him the grief of losing it all.”, Thor explained with a frown.

“He was lonely for so long. I won't let him go back there.”, Tony stated and took his place on Loki's side, where he belonged.

Perhaps there was the possibility for them to return to normal some day. Or as normal as it could get with the loss of a child.

 

 

The sorcerer awoke late in the night, curiously noting that there was another body in his bed, smiling when he saw his husband and their babe curled into each other, sleeping soundly, so he got up with utmost care as to not disturb them and wake one of them.

As quietly as he could, he left the room.

He would return before Tony would wake.

 

 

“What do we do should Algrim come back? Without Loki, we're no match for the Kursed.”

Nobody answered. Steve sighed annoyed.

“Any chance to persuade one or two of the Frost Giants to help us out?”

Fandral scoffed and crossed his arms.

“They would take the Casket and run for their lives, leaving us to fend him off without any means of defence.”

“So no help from the only means we have against them. Great.”, Clint muttered. “How exactly did you lot defeat them the first time?”

“We didn't. Malekith sacrificed his whole race in the fight against Bor to escape, brought his people to flourish again when he found the Aether apparently destroyed, and it was Loki who defeated him the last time. Algrim has the Aether now, and that is an advantage we have yet to understand.”, Volstagg explained sourly.

“We're fucked.”

Tony sighed. This couldn't be.

“Let's pray that my deranged husband gets back on track before we have to fend off the creep again.”

 

 

It was hell once Loki was awake again. Seeing Clint had thrown him back in time, and now he was absolutely sure that he had no family at all, cursed Thor and Odin to Hell and back, spitting venom and words like they were his only way of defending himself.

What proved to be true, later, when Tony belatedly noticed the heavy metal bracelets Thor had forced upon his husband – binding his magic and preventing that he would leave the rooms he was currently in, or so he was told.

“I will _kill_ you once I get out of here, you dimwitted mule! Release me at once!”, he yelled, and Tony rubbed his forehead.

“I thought you had made some progress already.”

“Something set him off.”, Thor murmured, staring at the door that parted them from the lunatic god.

“Hey Rock of Ages, I know you're angry, but could you listen for some moments? We could offer you a deal.”, Tony tried his luck, tired of waiting. They needed him, and if it would take a bargain to get his husband to cooperate before they could work on getting his sane self back, well, he would do it.

All love aside, if the Trickster could not get back to him short notice, he would take the long route again, but right now they needed the Frost Giant hidden underneath, at least temporary. Gods, Tony hated himself for thinking like that.

He hated everything right now.

“Speak.”, the muffled voice called out, a curious undertone lingering inside.

“We need something only you can give us, and if you swear on your magic to help us, we'll let you go.”

“Elucidate, Stark.”

Well, he seemed interested enough.

“We need your Jotun-Mojo, Cupcake.”

It was silent for a long time, before the caged man behind the door hissed and spluttered.

“Who told you of that? Was it my dear _brother_ , hm? Aren't you afraid of me?”

“To be honest, you told me, you even showed me, and really, I'm always afraid of you, you're a scary little fucker, but I love you nonetheless. Do we have a deal?”

He heard a muffled “What?!” at his exclamation of love, and following that there was a sardonic chuckle.

“I will rot in here then. Do not speak to me again or I will rip out your tongue.”

Tony sighed and turned around.

“Well, it was worth a try.”

 

 

They had exactly one more day of relative peace.

Eir examined Loki, proclaiming no bodily illness, but that his mind was far afield, and not likely to revert back to his usual, saner amount of crazy, any time soon. It smouldered what little hope they had. Tony bunked with Jane and Thor for the time being, neither Noelle nor Éldi great fans of sleeping far away from each other, so it was really the best option for all of them.

Odin and Frigga called the Warriors to discuss how to go against an army of enemies the only person capable of fighting them was momentarily indisposed, leaving behind Jane and Tony, guards at their doors, one room down the hall.

“What if he does not come around?”, Jane had asked softly, and Tony decided to not think about it.

“He will. I will not accept he's gone as well. I can't.”

“Tony...”

“No. I will not go there until that psycho is down and buried at least twenty feet deep.”

 

 

Algrim decided to come back the day after, and he brought with him an army. There was no way they would win this, Tony thought when he first laid eyes on the force that made its way over to the City in an almost lazy attitude. Absolutely no way whatsoever.

“We have the Soul Stone. Should all be hopeless, I will use it.”, Thor said. Tony shook his head.

“Remember what Loki said – Stones twist minds, and if a clear and organized mind like Loki's can be broken with one, you would be easy prey along with the rest of us. Don't do this.”

“Very well, Brother.”

Tony chuckled softly at that loudly spoken bond between them, despite feeling like the World was about to end.

It probably was.

He clutched Noelle to his chest and whispered how much he loved her, and that her Mum did as well, even if he was a bit besides himself at the moment, and the girl cooed and smiled her adorable toothless smile. It made his heart clench painfully while tears sprang into his eyes.

“Yeah, you just smile. Daddy's here. Daddy will make sure you're always perfectly fine.”, he choked out.

This was madness on a scale so out of proportion Tony did not know how to handle it any more.

 

 

The Elf sent a small group of Kursed to the Palace, destroying a lot of walls along the way, seemingly without a plan or exact order. Odin and Thor brought them down while the Hulk smashed at least one to dust (as Bruce had promised Ásdís), before they got to know what the reason had been for that scouting party.

“They have Loki.”, Clint told them a few minutes after meeting back up.

Tony handed Noelle to Frigga and went to get the suit.

Before he was not sure that his husband would not return to him, he would damn well make sure nobody killed him. And if he would kick the bucket himself, well, fuck it.

This whole situation was one big suicide commando anyways. Frigga and Odin knew how to take care of a baby.

He had failed his daughter, his Dizzy, his bright star, and if he failed Loki too, he was ready to die.

Noelle would be better off without him, then, he figured.

Time to face the fates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. Are you curious? What will happen to Loki? What to Tony? Is this the end, finally? Will they get the bastard that killed little Dizzy?  
> Have I written some cruel things? Will everything be all right in the end?  
> Questions, sooooo many questions. I'd love to hear your theories. Share, folks :D


	26. Algrim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki has been taken, Tony decides to engage whatever the cost, and Algrim thinks he has the upper hand.  
> Well, chances are slim to get out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... is this a bad time to tell you that we've rushed through the promised eight chapters that would be posted whenever you filled the mark? And that I'm probably not able to update until sunday evening because of a trip? *duckandcover; duckandcover...*  
> Err. Yes. Seriously, what you have done these last few days was like a miracle for me - I never would have dreamed of reaching out to your emotions like that.  
> Thank you all so much.
> 
> Prepare for trouble. Again. One last time - you can do it. I believe in you.

 

 

“Just look at that.”

Loki was squirming against his capturers, hissing and spitting curses all the way they dragged him to Algrim. It was more than fortunate that the asgardian armour had such an abundance of straps and flaps – one could be held almost everywhere. The Dark Elf stood in the clearing they had finished off Malekith in years before, probably having chosen that particular location to prove that his race would win over again, and again.

“I must say, it saddened me greatly to hear of your little tragedy, as she would have made a perfect asset, but well, I will live.”

Loki growled. “What are you talking about? Release me at once. We have parted ways decades ago.”

Algrim laughed. “Oh, this is fantastic. Loki, how about a deal?”

“Norns, not you too.”

“I have the most powerful artefact in my possession, you probably can feel the energy. Aren't you curious?”

Loki blinked. “You have found it, then.”

Ah, of course the literate and studied Prince would know about it without remembering.

“I did. I will share it with you if you claim loyalty to me right now.”

It was delicious. The sorcerer thought about it! How delightful would it be to watch him obliterate his own family once he had accepted – Loki had always been too curious for his own good. The right bait would make him wax in Algrim's hands, ready to be formed, eager to be used.

“Why would you part with it?”, the Trickster asked, and Algrim knew he had won that instant. It was just a matter of time and the right amount of promises.

“It wants you. It has tasted you, and with your power, the Aether will grow and be unstoppable.”

 

 

Thor followed the engineer, of course. Jarvis had located Loki's signature energy by default, and he was on his way before the suit had fully assembled.

He had not anticipated being intercepted by Asgard's Crown Prince, though. Thor plucked him out of the air with minimum effort, both of them slamming to the ground hard.

“What the fucking hell, Point Break?”

“You will not rescue him engaging like that. You will meet your end – and his.”

“Do I look like I care?”, Tony snarled and wanted to blast the blonde from his body, but he was face down and Thor did a really good job of pinning him to the ground.

“Listen to me, Anthony. Loki will not accept you barging in like that, and he will reclaim your soul from Valhalla, Hell, or wherever it will end up just to shred it and kill you himself again. Do not make him do that.”

“Then what?! Shall I leave him there?”

Thor sighed. “Let us approach like he would have done. Quietly and without them noticing. Can you do that, Man of Iron? Or will I have to drag you back to my mother?”

 

 

 

“That is a very fine deal indeed, Algrim. Tell me, where is the catch?”

“No catch, I promise this. You will be granted the unlimited Power of the Aether, as long as you swear to use it for me should I need it. You will get your revenge on the Aesir, and you will be able to claim their throne for yourself.”

It was so easy. Loki was drawn to power, to revenge, building up his hatred had been child's play now that the Jotun's mind had shattered. Algrim felt the Aether buzzing with excitement to be in its most potent vessel again.

“Will you accept?”

“Loki of Asgard swears to claim loyalty to you alone, Algrim of Svartalfáheimr. I will accept your gracious offer.”

“The Hell you will!”, a voice screamed from behind, but it was already too late. Algrim laughed.

“You are not saving him now!”

The Aether left him, rushing over to its new host, its old acquaintance, just to stop at the invisible barrier that left it recoiling every time while the sorcerer was in his pale Aesir skin.

“You need to briefly drop your glamour, I believe.”, he whispered before turning around to face the two intruders that had somehow come close enough to witness their exchange. Not that it mattered, they were already in the hands of his soldiers, a threat diminished.

“Loki is mine now. He will obey me, as he has sworn.”

The energy shifted, and he could read in the Man of Iron's eyes like in a book. Loki had accepted his Jotun skin to accept the Aether, and it horrified the human boy that had thought to play with them.

“Look at your husband, how he willingly comes to me after my warriors killed your flesh and blood.”, he hissed.

It was magnificent. The power Loki radiated was almost palpable, the Aether still in the air, waiting for the change to complete, surging forward as soon as it was not hindered any more, encompassing and embracing the Jotun like an old friend.

The human shouted again, and it was the sweetest sound Algrim had heard in a long time.

The Aether seeped into the blue skin, tinged it purple for a second, before Loki took a deep breath and smirked at him with eyes as red as the Aether.

“Let us bring down this race of monsters.”, he grinned, with madness in his eyes, and it was even better than the Elf could have ever anticipated.

But then Loki swayed and lost his focus, falling to his knees and gripping his head.

Algrim took some steps forward, watching how his body reacted to the change, how he stood against the sudden change of power, the sudden rush of energy so much higher than his own.

“Take it slow, Loki.”

He doubled over, wringing another pained and desperate cry from his human. It was getting a bit annoying, now. Perhaps he should silence him now, instead of waiting to kill him in front of his friends.

Ah, but he ached to feel the whole extend of that fluctuating energy. It was energizing and oh so delicious. He cancelled all the spells he held, bare the most important ones, shielding himself, relishing in the rush of energy surrounding him in all its horrible glory when the energy of his hexes no longer clouded his senses.

He did not need the additional safety measures in the Palace now. He could best them without acting in the dark, and it would be glorious, this triumph over the mighty race of Asgard.

Loki was crouching on the ground on all fours, breathing heavily.

Algrim took another step in his direction, positioned so the Prince was kneeling directly in front of him.

It certainly had some appeal to have this might over another creature.

Loki sighed quietly and got back to his feet, one knee still bend, head lowered.

“You should really have more care of your words and the ones your allies speak, Algrim.”, he said softly and braced his hands on the soil.

Ice grew from his hands in a perfect circle around him, diameter widening rapidly, encasing Algrim's warriors in a thick sheet of Ice with lightening speed, and the Elf was frantically looking around, taking in his army, his Kursed, frozen like the ones in the City that first time he had attempted to get his hands on the girl, while he himself was rooted to the spot, feet frozen to the patch he stood on. He met the eyes of the human, seeing the same lack of understanding in them and knew he had been betrayed.

 

 

It was straining but oh so worth it to see that absolute confused look on Algrim's dumb face.

Loki intensified the power of the Ice he sent out, making it sturdier and more durable than even steel, catching every last Kursed in the range, killing them with a dagger of ice to their heart, piercing their stone-hard skin (admittedly with a bit difficulty) and making quick work of their enemies.

A swift gaze to his left and to his right confirmed that his Ice had worked how he had planned. Innocently blinking, he got to his feet, rising to full height (still a few inches shorter than the Elf, and wasn't that just sad for a proclaimed Giant?), smiling.

“'Loki of Asgard' has ceased to exist nine long years ago. The oath is null and void.”

“Damned liar!”

“That's what I do best, after all.”

Algrim laughed curtly.

“You still have accepted the Aether, íss hveðrungr, and it will kill you this time around.”

“Ah, but you are mistaken. Again, might I say.”, Loki purred almost happy and placed his open palms against each other, and when he drew them apart, the vessel to hold the Aether appeared, the streak of Obsidian swirling with angry red lines.

“I am a master of Manipulation and Trickery, and you think to best me with words? How foolish of you.”, he sneered, taking some steps back and tossing the vessel to the ground.

Somewhere behind Algrim, the human gasped and wheezed.

 

 

Tony felt like something had taken his head and turned everything, absolutely everything upside down. What the fuck had happened?

“Thor, tell me I'm not crazy.”, he whispered.

“Your eyes do not betray you, Brother.”

Fuck if there wasn't a smile in the blonde's voice.

Kicking off the thrusters needed serious effort, but before long, he was at Loki's side and stared at him like he would revert to the deranged state he had been in the last two weeks.

“Let me take care of Algrim and you may chew me out after, my love.”, the git said and turned to the Elf again, still blue and deadly and sexy and Tony was confused as hell.

Loki bluntly walked over to the fiend that had been responsible for all his sorrow, creating a very pointed and sharp dagger out of thin air, clear as crystal and quite possibly from the purest Ice.

“Die in the knowledge that you never had a chance, and that this 'íss hveðrungr' will be your last sight.”, he spat, spinning the dagger in his hand to align it properly, bringing it upwards and jamming it into Algrim's chest without further delay.

The chortled gasp turned into one of humour, and the laughter grew when he crushed the glowing stone hidden in his hands, changing himself into one of the Kursed, what made the small dagger stick out of his skin, as hard as steel as well, barely grazing his insides.

Loki cursed his luck. Of course. Why hadn't he thought about this?

He had no time to further contemplate the matter, seeing as the creature in front of him raised its arms and took a wild swing in his direction while trying to break the ice encasing its feet. Loki ducked, already producing another, longer blade out of thin air, and he heard Tony and Thor get into action as well.

They could still turn this around.

Rounding Algrim, he searched a point to attack him, to pierce the thick armour like he had done with the others.

He missed the sharp claw that came down on him just as he drove his blade home, missed his leathers being cut open like nothing, but markedly felt the excruciating pain of something forcing apart his ribs and ripping the beating muscle inside his chest to shreds as he let go of the Ice.

He lost control of his body and collapsed to the ground, sluggishly realizing that Thor had enforced the piercing of hot, blackened, smouldering skin with a swing of Mjölnir, and that Algrim was falling over just as him.

Bastard. Deserved it.

His vision swam. By Yggdrasil, but even he would not be able to heal a wound that severe. He couldn't even concentrate. He was still blue. How funny.

There were two blurry faces in his field of vision, but he could not distinguish who was who. Lifting his hand proved to be too much of an effort, so he aborted the idea.

Loki knew he was short on oxygen seeing as all his blood just left him, and drew in a ragged, shaky breath that smelled of said blood and made his chest ache.

Sounds reached his ears, but his brain could not decipher them. Norns, his chest hurt. Was it normal that breathing produced a bubbly feeling in his throat?

Probably not, judging from the increasing screams above him when he coughed up whatever air and blood he had mixed in his lung, left one torn and flooded with the very essence of his life.

He convulsed. It was an abhorrent feeling, and the pain increased.

Choking on his own blood. Now that was a death he never had seen coming for himself.

Blackness edged around his vision, and his ears picked up an increasingly annoying piping and beeping, and finally his consciousness slipped away, taking with it all these uncomfortable feelings.

 

 

“Freaking Hell, Thor, tell me you can help him.”

“I fear even the most powerful healing stone would not be able to do so.”

It was mind-numbing, to see Loki lying in his own blood, the dark blue liquid sluggishly welling up with the faint and erratic beating of his heart. Dying.

Again.

“Fuck, Lokes, can you please stop dying on me? It's getting really old.”, he hissed and pressed his hands on the ribcage after getting rid of his gauntlets, slipping through the cold, wet mess underneath his armour in the hopeless attempt to stop the bleeding.

Yeah, because it would be okay once he had enough pressure to seal the gashing wound that was killing his husband. Joke's on you.

The Jotun coughed up a frothy mess of blood, colour ranging from light to dark blue, painting his lips with the liquid before arching his back, muscles twichting and spasms rocking his body in the desperate attempt to stay alive.

“Don't you dare!”, Tony screamed at Loki, hands now coated in the blue blood, gripping the black locks and forcing his head up to his lap the same instance the Trickster went completely slack, blood turning to slush with the freezing coldness of the blue skin when it stopped flowing.

 

 

“You are very lucky that I have taken a liking to you, Liesmith.”

He knew the voice. He just could not place it in the right corner of his mind. He couldn't even say if it was a male or female one, but it was dark and rich and soothing.

“See to it that you do not die again in the next century or millennium. I am getting increasingly interested in your sweet little head, and could change my mind.”, the voice chuckled.

Loki would have sighed, would he be able to breath or do anything at all. As it seemed, though, his body was out of reach, and he became aware that neither his heart was beating nor that he took a single breath. Panic gripped him in an icy fist when he found that he could not suck in the much needed air.

There was a blinding moment of hot-white pain somewhere behind the point Loki assumed his eyes were positioned.

Just to jerk up a second later and double over in the sudden need to be sick all over the ground, spitting out blood and whatever he had left in his stomach, clawing at the earth while he felt his tissue mend and knit itself back together in a most painful way, making him gag as tears sprang into his eyes, drawing in a ragged breath that still smelled of copper, and iron, but no longer felt like drowning or asphyxiating.

What the hell? He should be dead. A wound like the one Algrim had inflicted of him was certain death, and he was _sure_ he had felt his heart getting limp.

“Loki!”, a – definitely male – voice penetrated his ears. The beeping had vanished, his senses were as strong as ever.

Well, they would be once this sickness stopped and he was able to take in air without this painful wheezing he did right about now.

“Loki, Brother, are you well?”

Thor. Of course. How the sorcerer managed to lift his head and give the blond oaf his most scathing glare while faced with the possibly dumbest question in all the Realms he did not know, but it did not matter once the deep worry left these blue eyes in the recognition that he was indeed fine.

However that had happened.

“Should he be this shade? He's looking like a mix between the sky and Éldi's baby-blanket.”, someone said, probably his lover. Loki still sucked in more air than he needed, all things considered, but it felt too damn good.

He pushed himself from the ground and shakily fell back on his bum.

“Theoretically, I should be no shade at all. How in all the Realms have you saved me?”

“We? Wait, I thought you had some super-powerful healing spell or something.”

Despite feeling like keeling over, the sorcerer chuckled and wiped away the blood that clung to his lips.

“Nothing is powerful enough to heal a wounded heart. It is the ultimate and surest way to kill any being that is alive throughout the universe. Short of beheading, that is.”

Tony looked at him as if he was torn between killing him once more and kissing him into kingdom come. A shaky sigh forced itself from Loki's throat when he smiled coyly at him, one hand rubbing at the skin Algrim had pierced, feeling the faintest trace of a scar that had been not there before.

The engineer broke out in tears.

“What the _fuck_ , Loki, what on Earth have you done?! Do you have any fucking idea what you have done to me? What was that all, a joke? Do you want me to thank you now, you fucking lying bastard?”, he yelled, and Loki ducked minutely, knowing exactly that there would be a lot of grovelling, bowing and scraping needed to fix this. He'd do it all, no question.

If it would be accepted, that is.

“You know what, save it for someone who'll listen. I'm done. So done. You put me through hell, and I can't do that any more. I'm outta here.”, he mumbled, scrambled to his feet and turned to leave.

Loki copied his actions, leaping up to his feet just to fall into Tony's arms quite literally (being caught right away) once the sudden movement had caught up with his body and gave him a severe case of vertigo and dizziness. Oh, and a churning stomach. Fucking perfect.

“Don't go.”, he huffed into the suit's metal, heavily breathing. “I can explain. Everything. Please just give me the chance to do so.”

Tony flexed his fingers some seconds before a scream wormed itself out of his throat, a highly annoyed sound, exasperated and turning into a groan in the end.

“Fine. _Fine_. Say your part, and I'll decide if it changes anything at all after. Shoot.”

Loki chuckled. “It is complex and complicated. Could we... return first? I'm... sore. And achy.”

The engineer groaned again but did not hesitate to sweep up his husband and give him a nasty look.

“Prissy Princess, you are a fucking nuisance, you know that?”, he growled. “Thor, you coming? I have a short fuse already, and I am so close to actually explode.”

 

 

The first thing Loki did after they returned was making sure Noelle was fine and well-cared for.

The second thing (after Tony had demanded he hand her over, _pronto_ )?

He was slapped by Natasha and Jane for making them all worry like that, what ended in Thor being slapped as well when Loki cautiously pointed out that he had not plotted this without help.

“It was the only way. I had no time to think of something more... refined or less... freaked out. We had this one chance.”, Loki said, picking at his nails like he always did when nervous. Or bored, but that was definitely not the case right now.

“From the beginning, if you would, and if you try to lie again I'm gone before you can finish the sentence, are we clear?”

He sighed. “Yes. And I do understand. All I ask is a chance to explain.”

Norns and Yggdrasil, the hope burning in him was so intense it clashed horribly with the certainty he felt that it was too late. But he had to try. He could not let either him nor Noelle go anywhere.

Eleven pairs of eyes were trained on him, and he felt like under trial again.

Oh, for all he knew he was.

Lovely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'íss hveðrungr' - Ice Monster, for those of you who don't remember. It's been a while.
> 
> Aaaand that concludes the most dark parts. We're through - it will get better from here on. I promise.  
> Hands up - who knew Loki was a lying and had a plan? And who is seriously confused right now?
> 
> As stated - I'm home for roughly eighteen more hours. I'm not sure I'm able to post more until sunday evening. Even though I am really really sorry for letting you stew like that now! (but then we can enjoy the last parts a bit longer! X'D)


	27. Of Lies and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What really happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because you've deserved it.

 

 

Loki was fed up with this whole 'Let's attack and vanish again!'-act very soon.

He hated, absolutely detested that they had no further lead than empty camps and left-behind strips of land.

So when Algrim had attacked and they had somehow managed to get the Aether out of him and shattered, Loki had hidden a part of his magic inside, untraceable (because unlike Algrim, he knew how to shield his own magic. Only an amateur would not hide his energy), and from this point on was as informed of Algrim's schemes as he was when Tony was involved.

Discussing their battle tactics in the afternoon, Loki was simultaneously engaged in the very interesting act of spying on the Dark Elf, doing just the same with the few remaining Elves he had, working out a plan that made Loki chill down marrow-deep.

He found out why he had attacked on Earth but that one time, and no second time after that – the Elf knew exactly that they would use the Bifröst to send away his target as soon as possible, making it a waste of time and resources to engage them on Midgard. Attacking on Asgard had proven to be more beneficial to his goals, seeing as they could only hide there, but not flee.

Loki hated himself for not being able to teleport and bring his children to safety yet – Noelle was too small, too fragile, she was barely able to withstand the Bifröst, she would not survive a trip through the old pathways just yet. Ásdís was happily practising her portals, but it took more time than they had when Algrim attacked. And he could not take one and leave the other behind – he would not even leave should it mean leaving Éldi behind. He was loved as much as his own children, and Loki would die before seeing one of them come to harm.

But thinking about that was futile the moment he sat foot in his old chambers.

Algrim had planned so far ahead his head swam with the sheer amount of information, and if he doubted its truth – and Loki always made sure to have at least two positive sources – the spell in his rooms made it real.

And frightening.

 

 

“They are too powerful when working together. We need to tear them apart.”, Algrim said and paced around between his generals, his soldiers, while thinking.

“As long as the Princes have the other's back, they are unstoppable. They will have to be forced apart, or there is no chance of success for us.”

Mumbling, the Elves confirmed his musings, and he brought a hand up to his chin, eyes staring into the sky while thinking of a way to get rid of them.

“We will attack at their weakest point – the children need to disappear. The brats are what they protect the fiercest, but once they are gone, neither Loki nor Thor will be the same.”

(Loki, back in the palace, still neck-deep in discussions and tactical finesse, almost got sick when his magic relayed this information. He wanted to kill their newborn. To end their lives. Barely a month old. He shuddered.)

“How? They never let them out of their sight.”

“Oh, this is easy. I have a contact in the Palace.”

(What?!)

“She will litter the whole complex with a certain spell, placed in the most strategic points, that will give me the chance to... get rid of anyone I deem problematic without the actual need to get into Asgard.”

(Loki excused himself for a minute under some pretence, if just to be fully concentrated on Algrim and whatever he plotted against his family.)

The Elves grew restless, but agitated in a sense of anticipation, thrilled to see their leader have a concrete idea how to best the hated enemy, the hated Aesir.

“What will happen if Loki notices?”

“As soon as the first spell is countered, I will activate the rest. I will flood the Palace with the poisonous gas until all life is eradicated.”

“What about the girl?”

Algrim stopped pacing, frozen to the spot. “My contact will shield her from the effects as long as we need to fetch her. I will not jeopardize her life and her precious abilities.”

(Panicking never had sounded quite so alluring like right in that instance. _Poison_. Loki could not counter poison. He could counter a myriad of spells, yes, but poison was a special issue, one that needed the added help of substances, of stones, herbs, cleansing items he just did not have at the Palace. Would he have the time to fetch them? The Fates really were a cruel band.)

Agitated murmurs broke out in the lower ranks of generals, when Algrim thought of details and how he would crush them.

“Should it be necessary, I will have my contact kill the Man of Iron. He is easy to disarm, and the device in his chest is dependant of him as he is of it. Ripping it out will be his death for sure. It will destroy Loki, surely, to lose him. We will relish in his grief and pain.”

Algrim chuckled darkly, his eyes determined to do everything in his might to rip apart Loki and Thor, to erase anything in his way that would slow down his march of victory, now that he had a point to attack.

“We will give them a few days to lure them into security. Let them feel safe while we get ready to destroy everything. My contact will place the spells tonight, and I will control them. Tomorrow, we will ready our forces and explore their weaknesses to eradicate them and make us invincible. The day after tomorrow, we will send a small group into the Palace. I will give them a last chance to give me what I want, to surrender the girl to me, before we will engage the other way. In the end, it is much more interesting to see the enemy begging and crying than to murder them slyly.”

(Loki forced himself to remain calm. He needed to stay calm and collected.)

“If we do not return with the girl in our hands, they will be dead in three days time.”

 

 

Staying focused on their own battle techniques had cost Loki a lot of concentration, mind already occupied with finding a dozen different ways to simultaneously save and lose them all somehow. Whatever he thought of, it meant at least one casualty, and that just would not do.

They would get out of this mess alive – all of them.

If he could come across a handful of the sponge-stones from Vanaheimr, the poison-issue would be no problem any more, he could craft an effective protection with these, but a travel to Vanaheimr would be suspicious, especially considering the circumstances. Loki had never been known for his love of Vanaheimr, leaving behind his family (more or less unprotected) would rouse rumours.

He paced as soon as they had concluded. Given, his pacing was not normal, he just stood at a window and stared out, but his mind was equipped with seven-league-boots, and he raced through his options in a staggeringly short time, coming up with exactly nothing.

Retiring early was the only way to get the much needed time to sort his thoughts and perhaps come up with another plan.

He lay awake the whole time, tossing and turning, deciding to leave their rooms and the bed in the middle of the night, sneaking into Thor's chambers and waking his Brother as quietly as possible, sharing his insights with the older one to relieve his mind once they were out of the room.

“We cannot tell anyone. Tony would notice that something is wrong, and them Algrim would know as well.”, Thor said, gravely and brooding, and Loki nodded heavily, head in his hands, rubbing away the exhaustion and fear.

“I know. It needs to stay between us two. Can you fool them?”

For a second, the blonde looked like denying, but then he nodded timid. “I will. What is your plan?”

“That is the problem – I do not have one. Everything I think of will end with at least one dead, whatever I do. I have done nothing more than toss around ideas and schemes since I first heard of his plans, and I am none the wiser.”

“Well, then we need to think together.”

 

 

Thor had went to fetch the sponge-stones as it was not unusual for him to travel to Vanaheimr, pretending to visit Freyja and thank her for the wonderful gifts she had send them both when the babes were born.

He returned shortly after Loki had confirmed the spells in his old chambers, mind filled to the brim with possible outcomes and plots, and there was only one who could have the potential to save them all and give them an open slot to actually defeat the damned Dark Elf once and for all.

Loki worked half of the night in absolute secrecy to complete the penchants that would see his family safe from any poison they could encounter, the one Algrim would send after them included, sneaking around in the darkness to place a stone somewhere in their clothing, shielded and untraceable, and they would not notice them until someone would elucidate.

 

 

“Algrim, Loki's might could fuel the Aether. We could attempt to turn him to our cause with the Stone.”

In the early morning hours of the second day, Loki had been made a part of the play again. It was a fine idea, the Aether positively burned with desire to devour his energy again, and Algrim nodded curtly.

“We will take the Gauntlet with us. He is getting restless and agitated, perhaps he will make a mistake that we can use. Now go and see that our troupes are ready to engage again, we will attack in the late afternoon. They want to leave and will be unprepared.”

“Yes.”

(At this point, Loki's plan had taken shape. It was cruel, and gruesome, positively scary and ugly, but it was the only one that would allow them all to live and return home.)

“The spells are in place. Well done, my servant, well done. I will kill that little girl first, then, should anyone trip over them. Perhaps the woman second?”, Algrim murmured, more to himself as he studied a map. Loki recognized the Palace's floors, the grounds, and was dead set on finding the traitor that endangered the children. She would pay with blood and tears before Loki would have enough mercy to kill her slowly and with delight.

His dreams were disturbed that night, filled with darkness and a voice that told him that his scheme could work if he was ready to sacrifice everything.

When he awoke, Loki knew what had to be done.

 

 

He relayed everything he knew to Thor, who nodded with heavy heart and a faint trace of defeat in his eyes.

“He will hate you for doing this.”

“I know.”, Loki whispered. “I know, and if I could change what we're about to do, I would. I would trade places with them all in a heartbeat would that see them safe.”

Thor pulled his younger brother into his arms and embraced him as if his life depended on that contact.

“I will miss her so, so much.”

“We all will.”

“Whatever I do, Thor, promise me you'll play your part. I need you to do everything to make this real.”

His brother tightened his grip and kissed Loki's hair.

“I swear, Brother. You will not place your trust in me and be belied.”

 

~~~~~~

 

“Okay, now wait a second.”, Natasha interrupted the talking sorcerer quite forcefully.

“To get this straight – there are potentially dangerous spells all around here and we still don't act against them even if the Freakshow is gone for good?”

“Algrim has cancelled the traps when I lay before him in the clearing. Had he not, I would not have engaged in battle with him.”, Loki explained calmly. “They are gone. I knew he would not use them should he smell the chance to gloat and boast his supremacy, I just had to wait until he would cancel them on his own. While I would have been able to dismantle a dozen or so at a time, there were probably a hundred strewn around, and I would have activated the rest – he, as the anchor, could disengage them all.”

“Oh.”

“I am sorry for any concern I may have caused you.”

For a few seconds, there was silence as the whole group contemplated his words and informations, his concerns, his fears, and Loki himself tried to find a way to relay the rest of his tale to them without irritating them too much or make Tony hate him even more.

“What about your latest bout of Crazy?”, the same then asked, lazily leaning back, head on the backrest and hands doing that universal 'go on' gesture before neatly folding on his stomach, eyes closed. He seemed perfectly calm and not interested in the least, and it hurt that he directed such indifference, such coldness against Loki.

_ I deserve it. _

“Tell me, come on, I mean I just had to deal with the death of my daughter all on my own because you had to play madman all again. No biggie, really.”, he said with a jesting tone. The Trickster flinched.

“It was needed to deceive Algrim.”, he said, voice wavering a bit, because he knew he would lose Tony over this.

It was so clear.

“Thor and me had to have a fall out. We needed to break apart, so Algrim would see he had a chance, so he would grow careless, and me freaking out had that effect. When... when we feared for her life, when we dug for her, he vanished, and relished in our panic as soon as he was safe. Algrim enjoyed seeing us hurt – he changed his plans immediately, not even thinking of using the hidden spells any more. I used this. He needed to see we were falling apart, all of us, that we were done as a team, that we were weak. It was the only way to get him to cancel the spells eventually and to save you from them would the stones fail, even against my expectations. I could not risk anything. I had to make sure you would be safe at the end of all this.”

Taking in a shaky breath, Loki covered his face with his hands and braced the elbows on his knees, bending forward. “Algrim is a creature that enjoys an enemies pain. I knew he would not let the chance to kill you all himself slip his grasp once it became clear we were no match for him any more. He wanted to brag, wanted to gloat about our desperate faces when we were defeated, and if I had to play the crazy madman, forgetting who you were, reverting back to that old state, I would do it. It played out exactly as I wanted.”

But he did not feel proud at all. It would cost him his family. His husband.

His life was practically shattered should Tony decide he was not worth it after all he had done, and it filled him with bitter acid how likely that seemed when faced with an impassive Stark, sitting on the settee and almost casually crossing his legs.

“An act. Wow, I'm impressed, I really believed you had boarded the crazy train again. You really are a dedicated liar, aren't you, Sweetheart?”, the engineer snarled.

“I am.”, Loki sneered back, ultimately fed up with all this. He would crash with dignity. He had done what was necessary to save them. He would not feel sorry for it now. “I saved you all. You saw the army he led to us, you knew exactly that we would have no chance against them. We were done, Anthony, and no amount of luck would have saved us if not for Thor and me and the ruse we worked out to get your sorry asses out of this mess. Condemn me if you must, but realize that no one would be alive right now if not for me and my ridiculous talent to fool even the people that have more insight in my mind than any other.”

“Well _thank you_ , Princess, for letting my daughter get killed by that asshole, then! Your perfect plan evidently _didn't_ work out! Thank you for leaving me to deal on my own, while you apparently are over the moon with joy that she's gone! Thank you for putting me through hell with your little psychotic escapades! Fucking thank you for showing me that neither Ásdís nor me mean anything to you.”

“Oh for the love of the Norns, stop this wailing. I miss her just as much as you, and contrary to your belief I care more for you than you will ever know, you bastard. I am sorry for what I have done and said, I really am, but there was no other way. You saw how he practically salivated to get me under his thumb, and I gave him the perfect opportunity to part with the Aether so I would have the chance to finally ban it into the damned vessel.”

Tony jumped up and threw him a withering look worthy of clattering teeth, but Loki had heard enough already and retaliated with a look as scathing.

“I am aware that I have lost any ounce of trust you had in me, oh darling husband, but I will not be sorry for what saved you all. I have sacrificed my family so you could survive this hell.”

“What, now you have _killed_ her intentionally?”, he spat. “I should have known that you would steep as low as possible. After all, you're a Frost Giant, aren't you? From what I've heard, they're good with such things.”

“You should be careful about your words, Anthony.”, Loki answered as cold as ice. “Lest I forget my manners and punch you in your pretty face.”

“Oh, have I struck a nerve? Sorry, but I'm not apologizing for the truth. Fuck off, Loki. I've really had enough.”

He should have known. It was an abyss too deep to cross again. He sighed and collapsed back into his chair, fingers rubbing his temples.

“Fine. I'll go. I will be gone when you arrive in your Tower, don't fret. I knew this would be the most likely outcome, and though I hoped you would be able to forgive, I see now that you do not even want to listen. I repeat. I have sacrificed my family – all of you. Willingly, because I saw no other way. And there is still more to tell.”

Tony positively seethed and opened his mouth again to hiss something, but Loki cut him off with words of his own.

“I will leave the girls with you, as you have clearly the better means to protect them with your little boy-band here. Just so you know, they always loved you as much as they loved me, perhaps even more because you are their Father. Ásdís adores you, and Noelle practically throws around joy and happiness as soon as you look at her or speak a single word. Don't waste their lives as you have almost done with yours.”, Loki said, rising from his seat.

He was so, so tired of fighting, so tired of not being trusted, and if it would end would he leave, so be it.

“What the hell do you mean?”

Oh, so he  _ did _ listen. Crossing the room with a few long steps, Loki opened the door and leaned against the frame.

“It was a ruse, Stark, a perfectly conducted ruse, and you had no other choice as to fall for it or Algrim would have known something was amiss. Make of this whatever you will. You thinking me capable of murdering my own daughter really tells me more than I need to know, though, and I am sick and tired of being mistrusted. Especially you should know better. Thor may very well carry on.”, he said bitterly and left without looking back.

Tony whirled around to look at the blonde with wild eyes, irrational hope filling them in the desperate idea that Loki had somehow staged it all.

“Tell me.”, he demanded, and Thor sighed while rubbing his face.

“Loki created a talisman weeks ago that would transport his daughter out of any dangerous situation, to his mayors in the Northern lands. Sif would accompany her, should the need arise. It was a secret precaution he took, and we agreed that we would use such a situation, should it truly happen, to lead Algrim into defeat, into a battle he would underestimate. How, we did not know at that time, but we had not planned on keeping her survival a secret. We did not anticipate that we would have need of it so soon.”, he explained with the most serious face Tony had ever seen on him, and it made his heart throb painfully.

“So she...”, he breathed, voice coarse, and oh gods, the damned tears again. Thor nodded.

“Ásdís is alive and well. Sulky, last I heard, but well and ready to come home, now that it is safe again.”

The sob that wrought itself out of his throat could have been a donkey crying, and he turned to make his way over and follow his damned idiotic bastard husband and either kill or kiss him for all he had done, but the door was already open again, just a bit, delicate, long fingers wrapped around the edge, and his legs gave out when the small girl that shuffled through the gap sped up and practically leaped into his arms with a happy “Daddy!”, and he held her so tightly that she probably had trouble breathing.

Tony saw his husband through the gap between door and frame, frantically trying to call him, to get him back, but he was hyperventilating, and before he could pull himself together, Loki lowered his head and closed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. Happy? ;)


	28. A heart broken, a heart lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor meddles. Ásdís is her usual chattering self, Tony is angry, Loki is lost.

 

 

He was so stupid. So, so stupid.

Loki could have punched himself.

How could he ever had hoped that Tony would see more than the betrayal, more than the pain he had intentionally put him through?

He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, and he welcomed the pain as he strode through the hallways, aware that there were eyes on him, and he would not give them any incentive to talk behind his back should he be spotted with blotched cheeks or worse, wet eyes.

The worst part of this whole ordeal had been doing it despite knowing exactly how it would play out in the end. He had broken practically every vow he had ever taken to shield Tony from harm, with first letting him believe Dizzy had died and later on not being there for him and sharing his anger, his grief, and it had been so hard, to hold back, to play the crazed villain again, seeing his husband broken and hurting, unable to help him without risking whatever they had already achieved.

He slammed shut the door to their – his? Tony's? Did it matter? – chambers, sealing them with the most basic spell he knew to weep in silence for all he had forsaken, had given up.

Thor had tried to make him believe all would be fine, that Tony would understand, that he would forgive.

The sorcerer had known from the beginning that he would need to cross too many boarders to come back unscathed, and that it would ultimately rip them apart.

But to save his girl, to save both, all three?

He would give up everything.

Loki sighed, a dull ache in his chest that numbed his whole body, and he slumped down on the bed when the realization finally hit.

It was over.

That whole dream he had dreamed, this farce of a normal life had been too good, in the end.

“Well, what did you expect, Liesmith? There is no happy end in real life.”, he whispered to himself and closed his eyes, wishing for blissful ignorance.

 

 

“...was much colder than here or at home, and she had so many books, Papa would be jealous! And she's _so_ old.”

Whispering these last words, Ásdís finally stopped talking to look at her Daddy.

Tony still couldn't understand what had happened. He had not left his place on his knees in front of his girl, his Dizzy, alive, well, curious as always, and as talkative as himself, chattering like there was no tomorrow, telling him what she had done these last two weeks far away with Sif and an old woman named Hlífa.

“Daddy?”

Heaven and Hell, she was alive. Tony couldn't stop staring at her in wonder, feeling light-headed, like he had smoked a very good breed of weed, and tears burned in his eyes when she cocked her head to the side in obvious irritation because he did not answer or react at all.

She was alive.

“Where's Ella? And Papa?”

His little, blissful cloud crashed to the ground hard. Blinking, the engineer came back to reality, and still, all he was able to notice was that his baby-girl was back and he had been through hell for naught.

“Um...”, he said. Very intelligent, Tony, you can be proud of yourself.

“Daddy!”, she pouted, and oh gods, he could not hold back his tears when he saw her like that, actually saw _her_ and not some photograph or video that Jarvis had made, and he pulled her into his arms once again, as tightly as he could without actually hurting her, kissing her head, her hair, her wild black locks so much like Loki's, pressed a final, big smooch to her forehead (what made her grin and giggle) before breaking out in a goofish smile, cupping her face and panting as his heart sped up with relief and joy and happiness.

She was alive!

“Gods, Pumpkin, I have missed you so, so, so much.”, he breathed and brought their foreheads together. “I thought I'd never see you again.”

“Silly Daddy.”, she chided, patting his cheeks in childish magnanimity, while patiently remaining where she was trapped. Tony would never let her go again.

“Papa said you would think that, and that I had to be brave for you. I've done my best. I was not even homesick once!”

“I'm so proud of you, Sweetheart.”

She smiled brightly. Tony kissed her forehead again.

“I thought you were gone forever, Dizzy. Forever is a really really long time.”

She pouted again and dislodged herself from the grip he had on her, and he let her go reluctantly.

“Papa explained that you needed more time to get the bad men. And Papa's always right. He is always there when I need him. He told me the bad men are gone now. So he is right, isn't he?”

Tony choked back a sob.

“He is, you're absolutely right, Princess. Oh Gods, I can't believe you're okay and safe.”

“Why?”, she asked, and she really did not seem to know why he was so upset at all. “I'm always safe. Papa's always watching out for me and Ella. He even made me a thingy that would get me and Sif away, and it tickled. It was fun.”

Tony did not know how much more happy he could get when she smiled that sheepish smile she always used when she knew exactly that she should not enjoy something quite as much as she did.

“Can I do it again?”

“NO!”, he shouted, and Ásdís jumped back a step when his voice suddenly got loud at her. “Sorry, Pumpkin, I did not want to yell at you. No, though, you're definitely _not_ doing that again. _Never_. It was an emergency thingy, and we use emergency thingies only when there's a real emergency.”

Pursing her lips, she traipsed forward again, into his arms, and snuggled up to him with a wide smile.

“I have missed you, Daddy, it was boring without you.”

His heart practically melted out of his chest, and a sob was stuck in his throat as he nodded and cradled her to his chest, gently stroking the curly mess they called her hair.

“Then I'll make sure we'll never part again. You're never leaving my side ever, ever, ever again, are we clear? If that means I have to ground you until the sun blows up, I'll find a way to keep you in the Tower.”

Her giggle was the sweetest sound Tony's ears had ever picked up.

 

 

Heartwarming as it was to watch Tony and Ásdís interact, to see them both so happy to see the other and be with each other again, Thor needed to get the engineer back on track.

Back to his brother, and best before the latter decided to vanish without a trace like the last time he needed to escape.

The blonde god rose to his feet, drawing the eyes of Jane and his parents on his person, but ignored all three for the moment. There was a relationship to mend.

“Anthony.”, he said softly when by his side, and the human raised his eyes to meet his, bloodshot and sore from his tears for sure, but smiling like any person smiled that had found something they had thought to be lost forever.

“Anthony, I need to have words with you. Will you accompany me?”

“No. Not yet. I've just got her back.”, he mumbled, and the small girl on his lap squirmed to grin at her Uncle.

“Hi, Uncle Tor.”, she greeted him, and Tony's eyes bulged before he pushed her away a little.

“Wait wait wait, what? When did you learn to call him that? He's Toto! To-to, come on, say it with me now. _Tooo-toooo_.”

“No-ho!”, she laughed and leaned back into his chest and embrace. “Lady 'Lífa said he's Tor.”

“I insist, Brother. You will have time for her later. Let our friends greet her, too.”, 'Tor'/'Toto' said with a smirk, and as soon as he mentioned the others, Ásdís craned her neck to look around, finally noticing all her Uncles and Aunts and whooping in joy, throwing Tony puppy-dog-eyes from Hell until he groaned and released her with a last quick kiss to her head and shooed her off.

“Shoot.”, he then said and attempted to stand up, failing miserably because his feet had gone dead while sitting on the floor. Thor pulled him to his feet and made his way over to the windows, Tony awkwardly hobbling after him with little grunts, feet and legs prickling that awfully disturbing way when the blood rushed back.

“Get it out, Point Break.”, he huffed with a grimace, bending down and kneading his calfs to get the circulation of his blood back to normal. “And remind me to never sit on that floor again.”

Sighing softly, the Crown Prince of Asgard leaned back on the wall and hooked his fingers into his belt.

“What you need to understand is: Loki needed almost every minute he had between getting to know Algrims plan and our own taking action before he had come up with a scheme of his own that he deemed satisfying enough to be carried out.”

A scrunched up face was the only response he got. The corners of his mouth were dragged downwards in a frown when he saw that Tony was getting defendant again. It would not do. He had to _listen_.

“I have never, not once in all these years, have witnessed Loki being not able to save his – and our – heads in under an hour, whatever the situation, and never have his plots failed. He told me of some ideas he had, and while I thought they could have worked, I trust my brother enough to know he would not throw away a plan should he think it possible, or let us run into a situation we could not handle.”

“So why didn't we just hide her, them, us? Why this farce?”, Tony snapped, crossing his arms and scowling.

“Where would we have hidden you, with your metal heart that told Algrim where you were all the time? He would have killed whomever remained in this lands, just to lure us out again, and you would have been the perfect target.”

“Bullshit, he wasn't after me, he--”

“Shut up, Tony, and listen for once.”, Thor growled and the engineer fell silent with an audible 'snap' of his teeth.

“Algrim wanted Ásdís, that is correct. To get to her, he would have killed not only you, but the babes as well, as Loki has told us. Hiding would not have changed that. You would have been the first to die because he knew your position wherever you were, and your death would have broken Loki. It would have made him weak, and unable to partake in a fight, giving Algrim a boost he would have loved. Without Loki, hiding would have been ultimately harder – his magic would have shielded us, and losing this would be our certain death.”, he explained, eyes firmly trained on his brother-in-law, hopefully seeing how the smaller man nibbled on his lips in a definitely not conscious manner.

“Algrim wanted to break us – in spirit and mind, as well as our bonds with each other. Loki thought to give him exactly what he wanted, while protecting your daughter to the best of his abilities and getting her out of his reach. And for this it was crucial you would believe it without doubt.”

“Why?!”

He looked affronted, Thor noted. How odd.

“Why not just rope me in and fucking _tell_ me that my child is not dead? I'm a good actor, I could have done it as well _without_ cracking up and losing control!”

“You really have forgotten that you do not only relay what you hear and see, but your emotions as well, haven't you? Telling you would have meant all would have been for naught. Algrim would have known it was a trap, and would have killed us, and we would not even have had time to understand what had happened.”

Visibly deflating, the human's shoulders sagged, and he looked tired, and older than the God of Thunder had ever seen him.

“There really was no other way? Come on, you can't be serious. There must have been a thousand ways.”

“And Loki thought of them all, played them all out in his mind, and found that only this would save us all. Do you honestly believe he would risk losing you and his children if there had been another way, another choice for him?”

“I can't believe he did this to me.”

Gazing up to the rich ceiling, the older one took a deep breath, remembering the very first words Loki had said to him that night he had told him of his plan.

_ 'It will cost me my family. Tony will not forgive this betrayal. I know I wouldn't. If this is truly the only option we have, I will have to give him up. Will have to give my children up, because I know I cannot keep them from their Father.' _

He relayed this verbatim.

“Whenever you came across him crying, it was not faked. He was weeping for what he would lose. So I beg of you, Anthony, try, please try to understand. Loki would not have done it had he seen another way out.”

The engineer turned around to watch his kid, the one thought dead for two weeks as long as eternities, hug and cuddle with practically everyone, all of them crying, or at least with wet eyes, and she told them all she had told him, her little vacation with Sif, how brave she had been despite missing them all, what she had seen and done while they mourned her, finally getting over to Odin and her little sister who was wrapped in a soft warm blanket while flailing her tiny arms around and kicking at her grandfather's upper arm when he did not react right away to her soft mewling. Ásdís' eyes lit up and her smile grew in brightness when Noelle wrapped her hand around her fingers and ceased making noises, instead yawning and tiredly blinking up to her big sister.

“I don't know if I can forgive this, Thor. I'm furious, somewhere underneath the relief that she's really back, but the second I think of Loki I imagine how perfectly good it would feel to strangle him until he'd go blue, or longer, for letting me believe she was gone for good and he was going mad again. And just for the record, you, Big Guy, are not far behind for actually _helping_ him.”

“Then make whatever decision you make a quick one, for all I know, Loki could be on his way already, doing exactly what he promised you earlier. And should you really choose to abandon him, I cannot. I will not lose track of him again.”

 

 

Loki was not gone yet.

He couldn't.

He was stalling as much time as he could while packing up his belongings from the quarters his husband would from now on stay in alone, with his daughters, while Loki would find another set of rooms to crawl in and hide so he would not be confronted with the loss again.

He did not want to leave. At all.

There was no place in all the Realms, in the whole universe he felt more at home than wherever Tony and his babies were.

He could not start over  _again_ .

But by all the Gods and Entities, Tony had made it so clear, so painfully clear that it had been too much, and Loki  _understood_ .

Sighing, he picked up the necklace he had taken from Ásdís while pretending to lie in bed with Noelle, a clone in the cushions while he was with Hlífa and Sif, instructing them and explaining to the girl why she would not be able to come home for some time.

And she had been so brave, so good, nodding and hugging him, promising that she would be behaving.

He kissed the delicate flower in the midst of the sigil before setting it down on the pillow, so Tony would see it and give it back to their daughter as soon as possible, weaving a protection spell of his own into the magic already imprinted in the pendant, now that he was leaving her behind to not aggravate her Father more and scare her with fighting and shouting between her parents.

He could not do this. He could not leave them.

But he had to, Tony would not accept him any longer. They were over once and for all.

Loki swallowed around the heavy knot inside his throat, against the tight ball of forlornness and emptiness inside his chest when he sent his belongings into his old chambers.

Breaking his sealing spell, he opened the door and left behind his life with feet that felt like Mjölnir.

 

 

His lips felt like very well chewed gum. Gods, Thor had really appealed to his conscience. But he was so damn angry. What had Loki been thinking?

They were still sitting in the room where the sorcerer had finally put an end to this charade. Ásdís was still hopping from one person to the next in the attempt to hug them all close and get her share of cuddles that she had missed out on in these last two weeks, and things were starting to be real again, for all of them. She was back.

She was fine.

Loki and Thor had saved her.

Tony groaned. Okay. He could accept that. He knew his husband long and good enough to know he would not do something like that if he knew another way. It hurt nonetheless.

Rubbing his temples, the engineer thought about what he had said, and what Loki had answered, and he pinched shut his eyes. He had practically thrown him out, hadn't he? And his god had accepted that without discussion.

So Loki knew exactly how hurt Tony must feel, if he threw in the towel without trying even once. How slim the chances of forgiveness.

Thor was right. The Trickster had risked his family, aware that he could – would lose them all.

Well. One thing left to do then, apparently – prove him wrong. Nothing was more satisfying than proving the damned God of Mischief wrong.

As Tony stood up to follow his foolish, idiotic and probably crazy husband and force him to swear he would never ever again do something like that, the doors opened once more, and the other dead person entered.

“Oh, hey Sif. Glad to see you're alive as well, I almost thought Loki had gotten rid of you while he had the chance.”, Tony joked, unable to repress his words – he was a jittery mess and needed every little humour he could get. She smirked curtly before a serious look crossed her features.

“As if I would give him this chance. No, I was with Heimdall to ensure he knew this all was a ruse until just now, and he told me to relay the message that Loki has left Asgard.”

Oh fuck his luck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. There are just five more chapters after this *tears up*  
> And then it's over - and I have no ideas for a follow-up-installment besides the short-stories. It's over.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the last bout of comments - as well as the constant rise of Kudos, all the bookmarks and subscriptions. You are the best readers one could wish for.  
> I hope I could explain well enough why they did what they did. I wasn't sure if this would somehow end up being strange.


	29. Home is where the Heart is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Tony find Loki?

 

 

Loki's heart hammered in his chest when he arrived in the penthouse. It was still bare of anything remotely related to his oldest child, courtesy of his own plot, and he really hated what he had done to these rooms.

“Welcome home, Sir. You seem better.”

Good old Jarvis. He would miss him.

“I am. Thank you.”

“Will Mr. Stark arrive as well?”

Loki's throat went dry. “I... think not. It's just me for now.”

“Very well.”

With a quiet sigh, the sorcerer began to undo what damage he had done to the penthouse. He meticulously and carefully retrieved and repaired every photograph he had banished before, once again aligning them perfectly with each other on the walls, the sideboards and shelves, bringing back their daughter to the place. Each and every single one was viewed and studied, with long, loving looks, with fingers tracing the girl depicted, with soft murmurs and a heart full of longing already.

He would probably never see her again if not in secrecy, nor her sister.

Loki tried to ignore his hurting heart.

It took him almost an hour to finish restoring the living room to its former appearance, Loki's subconsciousness still trying to stall as much time as possible, to encounter Tony and the girls one last time before he would be sent away for good. He lingered in the nurseries for twenty full minutes before he began to undo his latest scheme, filling Ásdís' room with toys and plushies he had gotten rid of before in his display of insanity, now carefully placing Fenrir and Snipey back into her bed so she would have at least this with her, a memory to remember him by.

His hands shook when he withdrew them, nothing to do any more, nothing to buy more time with, nothing left for him to wait for. There was nothing he would want to take, whatever personal belongings he owned would just add to the pain of separation, reminding him on what Algrim had cost him, what this scheme had cost him. All he had left now was to leave.

All he had was himself.

He swallowed around the lump in his throat.

 

 

“Papa's gone home?”

The girl with the insatiable curiosity turned around on Clint's lap to look at Tony, and he nodded and shrugged at the same time while his head tried to find the simplest solution to get him back and resolve this whole situation.

“Why has Papa gone home without us?”, she asked, nose crinkled, and carefully climbed down from the archers' legs to run over to her Daddy. “Does he have to do something?”

Frowning, Tony swept her up into his arms and rubbed their noses together.

“Papa has underestimated my stubborn attitude. He did some things I did not like much, and now he believes I want him to go away, but we won't let him go anywhere, right, Sweetheart?”

“Is that why he's so sad all the time?”, Dizzy wanted to know after nodding.

He pushed her away a bit to gaze into her eyes, serious and worried, frowning when he realized she spoke not from today alone.

“You _do_ share a connection. You can feel each other.”, Tony stated. “When did you first notice him being sad?”

“The day before Sif and me went on the vacation. Papa tried to hide it, but I knew.”, she mumbled and bit her lips.

“And he was like that the whole time you were away?”

She nodded as earnest as she could. Tony sighed and closed his eyes.

“He came to us on that first evening to tell us that the plan was in action.”, Sif threw in. “Loki spelled us to be untraceable, took her necklace, and promised to fetch us as soon as Algrim was no danger any more. We have neither seen head nor tail from him until today.”

So the idiot had not seen her as well. Just fair, Tony thought, and adjusted his hold on Ásdís.

“Papa is still unhappy right now, isn't he?”, he asked gently, and she bit her lip when she laid down her head to his neck.

“He is very upset. Make him happy again.”, the girl demanded in a whisper and clutched her hands tighter in Tony's T-Shirt.

“I'll try my best, Pumpkin.”

Setting her down again, the engineer kissed her head and shooed her off to her Uncles and Aunts, charged with her little sister, and turned to Sif.

“You think Heimdall's going to let me use the Bifröst on my own?”

She grinned.

 

 

It never had crossed his mind that he would perhaps need to leave behind his wedding ring.

He desperately wanted to take it, to keep it, something for him to hold dear once he had forgotten what it felt like to be loved and cared for by a lover, by a soulmate (the Norns may have mercy upon his soul, but it really felt like Tony completed him on every single level of his life).

Something made just for him, from someone who once had loved him.

Tony would not notice, he was sure. He had other things to worry about.

He was still in Dizzy's room, bright yellow walls mocking him in their cheery colour, and his right hand feverishly played with the ring on his left, all silver-white perfection with the single blood-red diamond in its mid.

No, he decided. This was his. He would keep it.

He straightened and blinked away the tears.

Time to go.

“Don't you dare run away now, Reindeer Games.”

Merciful and cruel Fates, Loki thought, to grant me a last look.

“I always believed Reindeer's were flight animals, thus doing seldom more than run away. Apologies for not holding my word, but I will be on my way now.”, he said and turned to see Tony leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, gaze fixed upon his figure.

It made Loki twitchy, for some reason. He had never liked being stared at, being _analysed_ , it always made him uncomfortable, and especially considering he had made it a habit to never hide anything from his husband, he felt like being stripped bare, naked, right down to his soul.

“Nah, you're no flight animal. You're too keen on getting a rouse out of everyone.”, Tony said, almost lightly giving back his banter, and Loki felt a small smile rise to his lips before he could prevent it.

“Well then I have to make good on that nickname at least this once.”, the sorcerer responded, tentatively inching nearer until they stood face to face, the only thing hindering him from leaving being the loved one in the door.

(Was it imagination or did Tony try to take up more space than he would usually?)

“So you'll just accept it? No fighting me for your kids?”

Loki's eyes closed when the sharp pain in his heart throbbed out into his whole body.

“I knew what I got myself into. It was a conscious decision, and I don't regret it. I'd do it again would I have to.”

Of course he would have fought for the children if he wanted them to be miserable witnessing them both arguing and fighting. Alas, Noelle would never remember him should he leave now, and Ásdís would cope. She had Tony, and Bruce, and Clint. Not to mention all her other guardians.

“And what do I know, perhaps its genetics – Frost Giants could have a habit of abandoning their children. It's certainly not much better than killing them.”, he smirked and felt satisfaction when Tony winced.

It had hurt so bad when the human had used that against him. Loki had felt as if someone had ripped the ground from beneath his feet, despite his calm demeanour.

“I shouldn't have said that.”, the engineer mumbled and bit his lip.

“No. But I know you did not mean what you said. Now, would you please let me pass already? I need to catch a pathway.”

Tony did not move an inch. He seemed to make himself bigger, in fact, a grim expression on his features that made Loki swallow drily.

He wanted revenge. He wanted to hurt him back. That was it, wasn't it? Why else would he cage him and prevent him from leaving without magical means?

“No, I don't think so.”

“Stark...”

“Shut up, Snowflake. Your turn to listen.”

Loki forced out a shaky breath that had been stuck in his lungs. Fine. Tony wanted to break him? He would let him. He had nothing to be whole for any more.

“Look, there's a baby-girl who's dependant on you. She needs her Mum – and the provided boobs, I think – for at least some more months.”

The trickster raised a single eyebrow. “I assure you she will be fine with formula.”

“Yeah, not the same.”, Tony answered and shifted his weight so he would fill out the doorframe more prominently, definitely wanting to hold Loki in the room.

“Dizzy would never get over it. And honestly, I don't even want to know what she'll destroy once her Mojo acts up and you are not there to contain it.”

“You should fire-proof your Tower, then.”

Both eyebrows sank down onto green eyes in a frown. If Loki did not know better, he would assume he was being invited to stay.

Ha. As if.

Tony growled and pushed him back into the room with his hands braced against the toned chest of his husband. “Don't get sassy.”

“Do forgive me.”, Loki hissed. What was the engineer playing at? It didn't make any sense.

“Okay, done.”, Tony gave back with the most serious face he could muster while Loki lost all composure when he failed to understand and bit his lip so hard it almost reopened the just healed split he had caused earlier.

“I mean it, Lokes. It's fine. I get it. Yes, I needed it to be hammered in, quite literally if we want to see your brother as the extension of Mjölnir here, but now I get it.”, he was told. He did not trust his ears in the least.

“You accused me of killing my own daughter.”, Loki spat, but before he could do more than that, his shoulders were gripped hard, and his back met with the wall. Not as gently as he would have liked, but not overly brutal as well. Tony looked up to him, hands leaving thin shoulders to slide down Loki's arms, finally grasping ice-cold hands and entwining their fingers.

The sorcerer let it happen. There was no fight left in him.

“And I should never have said that. I was angry beyond words and blurted out the first thing my tongue wanted to – you know me, brain to mouth filter is an add-on, nothing by default. I'm sorry.”, Tony said, with a look so pleading and unguarded, so honest it made Loki's heart ache.

“No, I am. I should have been there for you, I should have found another way.”, he whispered back, squeezing the warm fingers in his hands once before trying to lose the contact again or he would never leave and continue this slow dance of hurt and hurting they were just about to begin. “I should have told you. I knew what you felt, I thought her dead when it first happened, before my magic could activate the charm I had given to them. I was so sure to have lost her despite all I had done. I never wanted to let her die that day, I wanted to let her vanish, escape somewhere under the pretence of abduction, but then they destroyed the room and it was so much more finite that way, he would not search for her, she was safe.”

Oh, the burning of tears again. What weakness. It was a shame to admit he could not hold them back.

Sighing, Loki was pulled down to his husband, into an embrace. Unable to prevent the reaction, he swung his arms around the offered body, pressed him tightly to his own, shaking hands burying themselves in short, curly brown hair, and he caught himself begging before he could stop it.

“Don't make me go. Please, I can't go. I can't leave. Don't make me leave you behind.”

“Now slow down, Dasher.”, he heard through his mumbling, strong fingers combing his hair back from his face, behind his ears, all the while holding him and indulging him in his pathetic need for contact.

“Nobody can make you do anything you don't want, and we both know that, so don't think I could make you go away even if I wanted that.”

It was a weak chuckle that forced itself out of Loki's throat, but a chuckle nonetheless and Tony was glad to evoke such sounds even in this situation. It wasn't lost.

“I'm angry, Lokes, Gods, I'm so damn angry, but I'm a genius, too, and I can accept what you've done as the only possible solution. It doesn't make it any better, or lessens the fact that you fucking lied to me and then left me alone, but I'm a goddamnfucking engineer, and I try to fix things when I can't make them better. Let's fix _us_ this time, because we can't possibly _get_ any better. We're damn near perfect.”

The Trickster froze, the current breath stuck inside his chest as his ears forwarded the words into his brain, and his eyes popped open when Tony pressed a kiss to his head and held him even tighter.

“What?”, he piped with thin voice, apparently struggling with the notion of not being cast out with his mind firmly set on exactly that. The engineer frowned – this issue should have been solved by now, he had worked so hard to never give Loki the feeling of abandonment ever again in his life, and he had been so sure his husband knew that he could rely on Tony.

Oh well. Once more with feeling, or what Buffy would say.

“For better and for worse, Cupcake, you're stuck with me. You're the best thing that happened to me in like, _ever_ , and I may be an idiot, but I'm not dumb enough to let you go your merry ways again. Without me, at least. I swore, and I'm not breaking that vow.”

The taller man was still frozen to the spot, his hands fisted in Tony's scalp, bordering on unpleasant, but as they were not moving, nothing happened. Bringing some inches between their bodies proved to be quite the move, because Loki seemingly did not want to let him out of his grasp any time soon.

“Come on, Sweetheart, look at me.”

The Sorcerer did. Hesitantly, with wide, green eyes that were filled with restraint and hope and confusion, making Tony bring their hands up and cup his face, that gorgeous face that belonged to the only man – woman; whatever – that had ever managed to stick around for longer than a year.

How could he possibly let that person go?

“We're good, Loki. It's okay. Quit the panicking. You're not going anywhere besides back to our girls with me.”

Something between a sob, a hiccup and a sigh escaped his husband before he could close his mouth and lean into the touch, into hands on his cheeks, making Tony roll his eyes.

“Seriously? You're acting like a starved man.”

“Shut up.”, Loki mewled back and disentangled their hands to pull Tony closer again. Tony's hair was nuzzled, and pale hands stroked his sides and back while the raven haired man quite possibly tried to melt into the engineer, and said human snickered when his lover grumbled due to the clothes in his way before shoving an ice-cold hand down his Shirt.

“I'm so, so sorry, Anthony, I really am, I would have given anything if I had seen another chance.”, a muffled voice told him.

“We'll talk about this, and you will grovel and bend over backwards for me for as long as I want you to, are we clear?”

Loki nodded meekly into his neck, still clinging to him like a lifeline. “Whatever you want.”

“Then let's begin right now – stop that imprinting. I'm not going anywhere, so you can cease bugging me.”

Loki grumbled something unintelligible into his neck, very reluctant to remove his hands from Tony. “Now, Rock of Ages, I'm not getting any younger.”, Tony snickered, and finally the sorcerer let go of him with a small pout.

“Chances for cuddles will rise in the evening, I promise. Now let's get back to Asgard, before the lot think we have killed each other.”

Loki chuckled wetly. The engineer walked three steps, tugging his husband along, but felt the man hesitating just as he stepped out of the room. Curiously glancing back, because really, what could hold him back from getting to their kids?

He saw brilliant green eyes fixing his brown ones, a gratitude shining in them that pulled on Tony's heart, proof that the Sorcerer had not expected to be allowed in his life any more, a reminder of what he had offered the Fates in exchange for peace and freedom for them all, for protection, for their children's life.

“Thank you. For giving me this chance.”, he breathed, barely audible, and the smaller man sighed, squeezing Loki's hand gently before nodding to the windows and the landing platform.

“I love you, whatever you just did. I can't imagine my life without you any more, and heck if I let you vanish I'll track you down just to put a tracker to you so you can't go off again. I'm angry, yes, but on the other hand... the Moron is gone, there was some miracle that has brought back my Dizzy, and you're quite possibly the craziest person I will ever know, but you're not as insane as you wanted me to see you, and that really is fucking good to know. Our problems are gone – and that makes me really quite forthcoming in forgetting whatever lies you have told me. Besides, have you seen the current kicked-puppy-eyes-look your daughter sports? It's as bad as Steve's, I had to promise to make you happy again.”

He clicked his tongue once while throwing a look left and right.

“I see you renovated again. Looks almost like before.”

“I didn't want to leave it like this.”, was the murmured answer. “It was hard enough doing it in the first place.”

Tony tugged at his hand again, and this time the god followed obediently, obviously still unsure what exactly his spouse would want from him now.

“Just so you know, I'll ask your Mum and Dad and whomever I can find to tell me every little detail of you growing up until we met as recompense, and I will have Jarvis record them so I'll never forget any of them.”

“Kill me now.”, Loki demanded drily, making Tony chuckle. “The shame, oh, the shame.”

“You'll survive. Oh, and by the way – how did you escape certain doom this time?”

Loki shrugged and frowned. “I am none the wiser. I am sure I was crossing the borders before I was thrown out again. I remember not being able to breath, and being entirely bodiless, what is an experience I do not ever want to repeat. The next second I was hunched over the ground while my body repaired the damage.”

Frowning, Tony regarded him with an investigating look, still holding his hand, but having stopped in the middle of the room.

“What would have happened with Sif and Dizzy when you wouldn't have made it? I mean, yes, Thor knew, but they apparently were far away. How would he have contacted them?”

“I left them another gem with the transportation spell anchored to the Palace. In the likely case of something happening, Hlífa had stored a spark of my magic in her office. It died with me, at least I think it did. It should have, so she would have been notified that something went wrong and would have inquired what exactly. No one would have thought it strange, she is one of the most important mayors of the Realm. She would have found out what to do.”

The engineer carded the free hand through his hair, the frown still on his face, lips pursed and eyes wandering around.

“I don't want to see you dying again. It's getting really annoying, because somehow you always manage to come out alive. I'm in for some serious cardiac arrest, or a stroke, if that happens again.”

Wryly chuckling, the Trickster pulled his lips into an unsure smirk.

“I will try to keep away from danger. I am done with these experiments pertaining my mortality as well.”

“You better.”

And Fates and Hell and Gods, whatever, Tony was so done with keeping his distance. Quick as a snake he had snagged both hands of his husbands into his, pulling the surprised God into an embrace that was returned as soon as Loki had registered the move, both bodies pressing against the other and holding each other as tightly as possible without hurting anyone.

“Promise me you'll never do that shit again, Lokes.”

“I seriously hope to not have any reason to do so a second time.”

Okay, Tony would take that – some situations apparently needed drastic measures. By now he was sure Loki had thought of every repercussion any of their actions would have, and that this scheme he had played had been the only one that would lead to a final confrontation and a definite end.

“That's good enough for now.”, the human whispered, craning his head up and stealing a wild and heated kiss from thin lips, which Loki gave back as enthusiastic as he could.

There was heavy fumbling involved not soon after, hands mapping out the bodies, and both were sure this would have led to defiling many more surfaces around the tower if they would not remember that they probably should head back sometime soon.

The Sorcerer looked positively debauched, spread out on his back, hair a wild mess, lips cherry-red and swollen, his eyes a dark hue of forest green in obvious lust, panting when they broke their kiss. Tony, still straddling him, sat up and smoothed back his own tousled hair (a hopeless venture), making his husband wince when his hips brushed over his groin.

“We should head back. Heimdall's sure to watch already, we've been gone for ages.”, he huffed out. Loki nodded, not moving an inch, hands clasped tightly to his lovers hips.

The engineer snickered. “Let's give us five minutes to cool down.”

“We could use them better.”

Tony did not need to be invited a second time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were nearing the end of this story in fast steps. Thanks to all these who have replied to the last chapter, who left kudos and who were reading it!  
> Have I done good? Are you happy with this? ;)  
> Have a super nice weekend! And see you next week - probably Monday.
> 
> PS: Added a single line in Loki's explanation - I originally hadn't stated the thing with the abduction, but perhaps it makes more sense like that. If it doesn't, just ignore it. Seriously, this whole scheme is so complicated that I lost track.


	30. Late Night Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Asgard, the day ends - but sleep is for the weak, or so I've heard.

 

 

“Muffin, stop smothering Bruce, he's already going blue.”, Clint snickered, watching Ásdís cling to the scientist with a happy smile and a strong grip that was returned with the same vigour from the man, calm for the first time in weeks, Hulk placated with the presence of his little friend he had sworn to protect. It had been torture to know he had failed her, that the Brute had not been able to protect the one he so adored, putting him on edge constantly, always just a breath away from turning and smashing his surroundings into molecules at best.

“No, stay. I'm fine.”, he muttered, tightening his hold on the girl a bit more while burying his nose in her hair, feeling her breath at his neck and just relishing in the fact that she was really back.

He would punch Loki and Thor later on for putting him into this kind of pain. And the Hulk. Bruce had never before felt like that, neither had the Other Guy, desolate and forlorn, both sides struggling between anger and apathy.

An apathetic Hulk. Who'd have known.

“I have missed you sooooooooooooo much, Boozie.”, Ásdís said and opened her arms wide behind his head to show how much. “At least!”

He snickered. “I'm sure I have missed you more.”

“Cannot.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Missed you more!”

“I missed you so much!”, he said and copied her move, spreading out his arms while she looked right and left to visualize his claim with wide eyes.

“That's mean, you have longer arms.”

With an adorable pout, she flopped down on his lap, small arms encircling his stomach, cheek pressed to his chest.

“If you are anything like your Papa, you'll grow into the sky one day.”

“Please don't, Dizzy, or I'll get issues.”, a dry voice from the doors had them look up, just to see how Tony entered, Loki on his hand, both sporting a subdued smile on their lips.

Instead of answering, she snuggled down on Bruce like it was where she belonged, the most happy expression on her features while watching her parents cross the room, searching for a place to sit down.

“You found him, then, friend Stark.”

Tony snorted while sitting down, popping his spine and smirking.

“I know him good enough to know he would return to the Tower at least once. I'll find a way to track him through the universe soon, though. You're awfully prone to vanishing somewhere, Bambi.”

“I'm pretty bound as long as I have a reason to.”, he replied airily, his gaze swiftly wandering over his children before settling on his husband. “Besides, the Realms are quite fascinating. Perhaps I shall take you with me once.”

“Dibs on accompanying you!”, Jane threw in as quickly as she could, Éldi propped up on her shoulder. Loki grinned and nodded once.

“So, now I'm really, really curious. How the hell did you manage to fool us all like that?”, Clint then finally asked, and the Trickster sighed, brows sinking down, a wry smirk settling in his face.

Of course he would be asked, he had anticipated it. Ásdís turned her head around, just so she could glimpse in his direction as to not miss whatever her Papa would do, and he winked at her, earning a gleeful giggle and bright, delighted eyes.

Loki wriggled his fingers, bending light and energy to his will, and with a subdued flash of green there appeared a second Ásdís in front of him, innocently blinking around. Taking some careful steps, she stopped in front of Natasha (who looked unimpressed as always, damn her perfect Pokerface!), leaning against the assassin and cuddled with her.

Clint gaped.

“You've managed to make an illusion out of her? Neat! I want one!”

Both girls giggled in the same manner, and after they had waved at each other, the illusion shattered away in a spark of golden fragments.

“It is the most complicated thing I have ever mastered.”, Loki told them. “Cloning myself is easy. I know myself, I do not need much concentration to build a second me. Other people? One needs to mind their appearance – their exterior, their mannerism, details so delicate as to give off a certain energy. Where I can simply divert my own energy to fill up my clones, I have to build another living being from scratch. Never had I thought to feel like actually creating life all over.”

“Playing God again?”

Tony got back a smirk and a shrug. “I may feel up to it.”

“Okay, if I understand correctly, you sneaked them both away and created illusions of them? Is that not really exhausting?”

“As I had no need to actually o _perate_ them, it was less so. As I've told some of you before – three are the most I can do if I want to do something more than standing in the way. Creating bodies that neither moved nor were expected to give off any energy drained me less than I had imagined, but sapped me nonetheless.”

Understanding blossomed in the faces of his friends, of his parents. Fandral turned to look at Sif with a frown.

“Why you? You have long ago ceased to be on good terms.”

The Warrior shrugged impassive. She had fulfilled her duty, to protect the Princess.

“None of you would have thought I would ask this of Sif. I needed to make sure that no one would doubt anything. I know her. It was practically impossible for her to fail her own aspirations, and being assigned guardianship over a Princess of Asgard was all but enforcing her full skillset. I killed two birds with one stone – the best protection for my daughter while away, and a bulletproof story you would never question.”, Loki explained. “I already had her roped in as soon as I had made the talisman. Sif knows Asgard. Whatever they would have encountered, I never doubted her ability to shield my child.”

“What is comparable to a laudation coming from your mouth.”

Loki shrugged at Sif's words with a smirk. “Never underestimate my willingness to do everything in my power as soon as it pertains my children.”

With that, he leaned over to his father, and carefully retrieved Noelle, a most smitten smile on his face when she cooed at him and reached out to touch his face with her tiny hands. Ásdís, as whipped as her parents, smiled brilliantly and leaned even closer to her Boozie than she already was. The scientist complied with a tight hug.

The comfortable silence that stretched out between them was a most welcomed change to the explanations he had been forced to give, Loki thought. Content to watch his newborn suckle on his fingers and grip them with uttermost concentration, all the while sending his oldest watchful glances, sitting close to Tony, his Anthony, to feel his warmth, his energy – the god was sure that this was the happiest moment in his life so far.

It was finally over.

“Oh please, stop smiling like that, we'll turn blind.”, the archer complained, and Loki decided that he would not grace this comment with an answer.

Other than the neon-green/pink arrowheads and -shafts, and he would very much like every scream that would escape Clint's throat then.

 

 

Both Tony and Loki were utterly surprised that sleep would not come to them that evening. The day had been so utterly wrecking, so exhausting, they had been so sure to fall into unconscious slumber the second their heads touched the pillows.

Like Ásdís, to be precise. Tony had tucked her in, carefully making sure she was in the middle of the huge bed before joining his husband in the bathroom (or what Asgard claimed as such...) and slipping under the covers after, flanking their child, Noelle already sleeping in her crib standing directly besides the bed on Loki's side.

Tired they were, but it did not seem to hinder their minds to think over what had proceeded. Tony still tried to wrap his head around the idea that his baby was still alive, that he had been fooled and lied to, that he had woken from the most horrible nightmare he had ever had the misfortune to dream, and that included voids, abysses, caves and whatever he had encountered before.

Watching Ásdís sleep with deep, even breaths, her soft face rosy and relaxed, one hand twitching in whatever dream she had, the engineer could not help himself and gently, gingerly, stroked a strand of hair from her forehead and carefully kissed her hairline, a deep warmth flooding his insides as she did not vanish again at his touch.

“Promise me this is no dream and no illusion.”, he pleaded, chocolate brown eyes never leaving her.

“I will swear to anything to testify to that. She is well and truly real.”

The Trickster had whispered, barely audible, and the relieved chuckle that tore itself free from Tony's throat sounded almost too loud.

“You fucking son of a bitch. Now I have to shock Pepper again.”

“Just tell her you found a way to clone her.”

And gods, did he really chuckle at that? How messed up was he that something like that would make him giggle?

“I hate you, you know?”

“Yes. Now sleep. I'm extraordinarily tired.”

“Nu-uh. I can't sleep, and so you won't either. You'll stay awake with me.”

Very tired green eyes seemed to glow in annoyance for a second, and the engineer was proud of himself for seeing this in the dark, illuminated only faintly by his reactor, before a sighed “Fine.” reached his ears.

Tony shuffled closer to Ásdís, making sure she kept on sleeping, and brought one hand to the naked chest of Loki, tracing the faint, white scar, thin but ragged, that stretched from his side almost up the sternum, proof that he would have been dead if not for some (probably) divine intervention.

“How? I know you don't know, but I want to know who's keeping their eyes on you. Who has a reason to save your life without making themselves known? It's bugging me. Drives me crazy.”, he muttered, the soft skin of the scar delicate under his calloused fingertips, and he felt the faint shudder that went down Loki's spine when he brushed against a sensitive spot.

“There was a voice. I... It was safe, wherever I was, I knew to be safe. I think I heard it before, but I cannot place it.”

The god looked seriously confused now. Damn.

“Well, look at it that way, someone has seen you getting in trouble like you're Harry Potter, and has decided to help you out. Like Snape.”

The soft snort made Tony grin as well. Loki turned his head again to look at his lover, but the lightest shimmer of fear that still lingered in his eyes made the easy atmosphere fall away in an instant.

He had put that fear into Loki. Into the God of Mischief and Chaos, who was afraid of practically nothing.

The hand that had caressed the pale skin wandered to the curled hand lying besides Loki's head, entwining fingers and fixing him with a piercing look that made his significant other swallow drily.

“I'm here. I won't go anywhere. You won't go anywhere. We're a family, and we have worked too hard to give up because of this. I'll tear every little detail out of you and Thor and Sif, and when I have finally really understood what has happened, and why you have done it, we'll be fine. I cannot let you go again. I'm nothing without you.”

Thin lips curled in a shaky smile, the brows lifting while the beloved green eyes widened a bit and teared up. The fingers around Tony's clenched, the squeeze returned immediately, managing to force a wry chuckle out of the sorcerer.

“I love you so much.”, Loki told him, honesty and disbelief mixing in these few words. “I have not dared to dream you would take me back, and yet... I'm here. With you. With them. I can never put in words how grateful I am.”

Craning his neck upwards, Loki curled his fingers around Tony's in such a way that he could place his lips on the back of the hand, proceeding to press butterfly kisses over it and leaning in to rest his cheek against it.

The ex-human hoped the single tear that fell was one of relief.

“You've saved her. How could I not see that once my mind wasn't just focused on the lies?”

“Know that I did not mean a single word I said to you.”, was the whispered answer. Tony shook his head.

“I know. It hurt, though, and I thought you meant it, but I'll come around.”

Ásdís sighed deeply and rolled over to her Daddy, fists buried in his singlet, a tiny knee connecting with his leg hard. Wincing, he shuffled around so she would not kick him somewhere else as well, and Loki used the chance to slide closer, now that Dizzy did not occupy as much room as before.

“I'm too awake to sleep.”, Loki finally admitted. “Though I now know how Father must feel when the Odinsleep approaches.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“How fortunate for me.”, a third voice cut in merrily.

Both spouses were up a second later, protectively positioned in front of their children. Yet there was no one to be seen.

“Tell me you heard that too.”, Tony whispered, squinting against the dark to gain sharpness to his vision.

“I did. It is the voice I heard earlier.”

O-kay. Weird.

“If I wanted you dead, rest assured that you both would not have lived to see this day.”, the voice said again.

The engineer was sure he had heard it before as well. Rich, dark, smooth, with a hint of danger and something infinite but simultaneously utterly finite – where had he heard it before?

“Who are you?”, he breathed. “Show yourself.”

He was _not_ prepared to face the impersonation of Death again as her body shimmered to life in the doorway, all dark and tall and freaking _death_ , for god's sake. Speeding up, his heart probably wanted to get more oxygen through his veins, if Tony would be able to breath at all.

“Take a chill pill, Stark. I am not here to bargain for your firstborn.”

His mind did a double take to understand the words.

Then - 

“Did you just use _slang_? Holy fuck, this is the weirdest dream ever.”

“I thought it would perhaps disperse some of this uncomfortable tension. It is reality, Anthony Stark. I am here for Loki.”

Oh fuck.

“Nu-uh, no way, nada. Over my dead body, Lady.”

“Shut up.”, said sorcerer mumbled, body tense like a bowstring shortly before release, a soft green glimmer on his fingertips.

Lady Death chuckled. Oh gods, that sound. Shivers over shivers rolled down Tony's spine and made his hairs stand up all over his body. His shoulders raised without conscious thought.

“No spell of yours will truly harm me, Trickster, but if it eases your mind, by all means do ready your powers.”

Gliding onto the sole chair in the room, Lady Death rearranged her skirts with care, calm and at ease and made herself comfortable as if she had all the time in the world.

Oh well, she had. Damn you, mind, Tony thought.

“What is it you desire?”, Loki then proceeded to ask, shifting slightly so that his body would shield the crib a bit better.

“Oh, nothing, really. I just wanted to pop in for a second and look after my newest protégé.”

It took some seconds for both Loki and himself to process these words.

“Protégé.”, the sorcerer repeated, sounding awfully dumbstruck.

“Mh.”, Death affirmed, unimpressed checking her nails before flashing them both a charming grin. “You do not think some other instance was in charge of your life, did you? How, do you think, did you escape my clutches today? Your body was damaged beyond repair. I imagine it was quite painful to wake up again.”

The grimace the god sported was answer enough.

“Ah well, it could not be helped. Reuniting soul and body while urging the latter to heal from a wound like this is a highly achy affair. Though you have your beating heart back, haven't you?”, she smirked.

“I... have. You have my sincere gratitude, my Lady.”

Death snickered. “Less intelligent mortal beings would have granted me a debt. But what else may I expect from the Silvertongue?”

“I am not sure I understand your intentions, my Lady.”

Loki was trying to figure this out, and damn, Tony was edgy. This was fucked up. Why? What was her game?

The entity on their chair sighed deeply, closing her eyes while resting her head on the wall behind.

“Eternity is dull, Loki, quite boring if I may say so. All of us know that, but we cannot flee our existence. In search of diversion we seek out individuals to entertain us, to chase away this boredom, but you mortals are all so delicate and prone to injuries, sicknesses, and you die in a heartbeat.”

“It is really crazy that you're referred to as 'mortal' now, as well.”, Tony stage-whispered.

Loki shrugged, his stance still ready to defend his children at any second now.

“For an entity, my life is as fleeting as a humans is to me.”

“Therefore we cling to anyone who has proven able to give us a sense of adventure, of excitement, the rush of living.”, Death nodded. “And you are the most interesting creature that I have come across in aeons, Liesmith. It will not do for you to die before your time. Your life is filled with so much intensity, with so many trials and obstacles, and I find you highly amusing. I have watched you for centuries now, and I would like to continue to do so. It is most refreshing.”

Tony thought this entirely too freakish to be real. Although, if you thought about it a second longer, it was so freaked out that it could not be a dream. Even his crazy sub-conscious could not cook up such a story, and he had dreamed pretty twisted things already.

Death had chosen to protect Loki. Because he was entertainment.

He felt like part of a circus, probably one of the camels. Or fleas.

“So our lives are just part of your daily quest for deflexion? All I do is so that one of you may be not quite as bored as before?”

Uh-oh, that sounded like an angry Loki. Angry Loki against Lady Death? Not likely that they would get out of that one alive.

“Oh, no, Loki, do not rate yourself higher than you should.”, she chuckled.

(It still was the single most terrifying sound Tony had ever heard. His hairs stood up again.)

“No life is created to divert us. We just like to see our interesting cases safe. It has happened long before you were born, long before even Yggdrasil herself had grown, and it will continue long after your bones have dried and your soul is reunited with the Mother Ash. No, you are not ours to claim. Any life is their own, and even the very last will have its own fate, untouched by either of us.”

It was silent for some moments. The dark eyes of Lady Death swept over both men, a smug smirk on her full lips. Tony swallowed drily. He wanted her _out_. Thirty minutes ago, preferably. It was like being trapped in their own rooms, not able to leave because _fucking hell Death herself is sitting in front of me._

“My, you really are tense, boys.”

Loki bristled as subdued as he could muster. Tony was proud of himself for not losing it right now.

“Calm yourself. I come only to enlighten you.”

Leaning forward, Death displayed a curious but knowing grin, teeth showing and eyes glowing.

Tony would deny the flinch later on.

“Are you interested to know what I have done to keep you breathing, Loki? I do have such tales to share. And let us not get started on the moments I was contemplating to help your husband here. He has quite the addiction to taunt me.”

A quick glance sideways confirmed to Tony that Loki was really into getting to know what she would tell.

“State your price, my Lady. If we are inclined to pay it, we will listen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much. Again. I can't express my gratitude for all your support and comments and Kudos and whatever not. <3  
> So, three chapters to go.  
> The end is near.


	31. Yesterday was Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death tells her story. Sleep is still for the weak, and Tony decides what his recompense shall be.

 

 

Loki had thought after his fall into the World's Tree and the resulting madness nothing would ever throw him out of the loop that hard again.

Seeing his Ásdís fighting against the grip of Algrim redefined the meaning of madness, and seeing his husband grieving and mourning without being able to help him in light of what he would lose should Tony get suspicious rendered all his previous definitions meaningless.

Getting to know that one was shielded by Death itself, though...

Well, after that night, he was pretty sure he had seen it all now.

She had only demanded for them to finally relax, swearing that she would not bring any harm to either them or their children, sealing the deal with magic so old Loki had practically tasted all the knowledge of the universe, and after that the night had gone so crazy that neither Tony nor himself were able to understand it.

With a smug grin, she had spoken of occurrences Loki did not remember, stating that she had turned Odin's eye towards the temple and the dying child hidden in the snow, fascinated with a Giant so small that he would fit into a mere Aesir's hand, delighted when she saw that Loki instinctively changed his looks to match that of the Allfather, knowing that this life would be one satisfying diversion.

That it had been her when Loki had been sick with a fever that would have killed him, his true heritage unknown to the healers, both Odin and Frigga away on a diplomatic mission and unable to shed light to the complications Eir had to endure, before the Trickster, child that he was back then, slipped into slumber and began to heal on his own, almost miraculously. Loki remembered well how hot he had felt, how desperate Thor had clutched his hands, how Eir had frantically tried potions and medicines alike, just to see her warden slip away further, and then blissful coldness, a gentle touch to his forehead he had always assumed was a hallucination.

Death told them how incredibly interesting it was to see him grow into the adolescent boy that tried to master his inborn magic, setting fire to the palace that was almost unstoppable, and was that not subtly ironic, that the child born to Ice Giants would take on the one element that was clearly not in their nature?

She had the time of her life, apparently.

Watching him learn, trying out his sharp tongue and his mind, seeing him prank the Palace, the whole of Asgard – she was enchanted. Never had a single creature her so entranced, much less a mortal.

“Of course, the real challenge with you was just about to begin. I may be able to take a life, and I may be able to grant it, but I cannot add moments to a life that has lost its time.”

Loki had stared out of the window, the Bifröst glinting in the darkness like a beacon of hope.

“My attempted suicide should have killed me, I figure.”

The god was not sure, but Death looked peeved at that notion. What about that.

“There is a sickness known to mankind that is called 'Broken Heart Syndrome', and it is literally killing its victims by breaking their heart. Veins collapse. Heartstrings break and tear, the muscle is stuttering and failing. When the Allfather spoke these last words to you, all you were was lost, and you suffered from that sickness instantly. The emotional trauma forced enough adrenaline through your veins to irritate your heart, what was deadly on and itself. But your soul, Loki, cracked, and splintered like dry wood in a blazing fire, and knitting together a soul like that while taking care of a broken heart was almost too much even for me. You had lost everything – not only your family, your place, and your life, but you had lost what was left of your time. The will, so to speak.”

He felt Tony tense up again. To hear that Loki had been so forlorn that even Death herself could barely help him shed a light on the situation he had never seen before – and the sorcerer had buried this day so deep in his mind that it felt like he was no more than a background actor in the scene, if even that.

“What saved you, what gave you the spark of time I needed to get you through the Mother Ash alive was Thor. The Thor you saw before you let go, who saw you and what you were about to do, and who could not bear to lose you. It kindled your fire, and I amplified it.”

“Thor.”, Loki scoffed, tone disbelieving and bitter, the reminder of their outfall clear in his head even a decade after the event.

“Somewhere in your heart and soul, you still hoped for your brother to come and rescue you, because you loved him, have loved him forever, and will never stop to do so. Time has proven that you belong together. This love saved you. Helped me save you.”

“This is beyond madness.”, he whispered, buried his face in his hands and rubbed at his forehead in chagrin.

“Oh, we aren't finished, Silvertongue.”

Loki almost expected her to be the reason he fell into the waiting arms of the Other and Thanos, seeing as the latter was so madly in love with her, but obviously Death had not seen that one coming. Of course she was thrilled by the outcome, seeing her protégé and suitor united, delighted in the actions they would speak with, anticipating another spectacular show for her to watch.

It was daunting, appalling, the way she spoke of his darkest days with such passion, with such joy, retelling the story from her point of view, her eyes shining in remembrance and memories, making Loki feel like a puppet on strings, thrown in the way of a puppeteer who had mastered bending the whole universe to its will and desire.

He had always known this divinity was dangerous and did not care for others, as it was, well, _Death_. He had always tried not to cross its ways, had never begged for its embrace save that one time in the Void, never after, and despite using Hela as a messenger, was quite glad to never have the need of her.

Now he knew exactly _why_.

The way she spoke of his life like a book, like a show was frightening, how she played with his life made a panic appear he had not felt in ages, deep in his belly, a coldness from within that froze his entire being, and his heart clenched painfully in fear of what she could do, should she decide he was getting boring.

It must have shown on his face.

“Now, Loki, you mustn't be afraid of me. I make it a habit to not call for my chosen toys to die before their time, nor keep them alive should they be desperate enough to want a meeting with me. Even if they turn out to be a disappointment – which you haven't until now – my eyes will leave them and let them be until we are reunited through the way of life.”

_ Toy _ .

That's all he was for her, and Loki would do good to remember this as long as he was alive.

Dawn approached when she had finished her tale, adding more strange things to the list neither of the lovers would have been able to imagine for themselves, mortified in the knowledge that they would have never made it that far, that Loki would have died so much sooner without her interfering time and time again.

Her parting words would burn inside both Tony's and Loki's head forever.

“Do not forget – I can not add length to a life, even I have to bend to the rules of the Universe. What I can do is make sure a life is not snuffed out before it has run out of time. Every time you encounter me, it could be your last. You are neither immortal, nor invincible.”

Turning around with a cocky smirk, she had waved at them and threw a wink their way.

“Even Death's fosterling has to die someday.”

With that, she was gone.

 

 

“You know, yesterday was Christmas.”

Tony's voice broke the silence in their rooms approximately two hours after Death had taken her leave again. The men had gingerly reclaimed their places in the bed, curled up around their daughters after Loki had fed the mewling Noelle, now sleeping again on her Papa's bare chest, one of his hands on her tiny back.

“Eve or Morn?”

“I think Morn. Ask Steve. I was too out of it to care.”

“I'm sorry. I cannot even put in words how much.”

“Stop apologizing already. I'll find a way for you to pay me back.”

The engineer had pulled Ásdís to his chest and was currently occupied with combing his fingers through her hair in gentle, slow motions as not to wake her. Her mouth was opened a tiny bit, and she was so deep in slumber that it would probably take Thor to wake her up.

“She's my Christmas Miracle. I don't know how often I wished for her to come back despite knowing it was impossible, I think I prayed to every god that has ever existed, and I was desperate enough to include some of you as well.”

Loki bit his lips. Norns, how would Tony ever forgive what he had done?

“I'm scared out of my pants with the things Death has told us tonight. I cannot even imagine not meeting you. You're sure the Aether is not lurking around somewhere in your veins? I don't want to see you wither away in front of me again. And no dancing with freaky Kursed any more if they always carry talons like that.”

“I knew the Aether had taken all I had to give back on Svartalfáheimr. I wondered why I woke again.”

Tony snorted. “Well, Death is your freaking personal bodyguard. You're like her goldfish.”

“You're not so far behind, I think. Just think about that palladium poisoning that would have killed you. She was prepared to help you.”, Loki gave back.

“Oh Gods this is fucked up.”

“Probably.”

Sleep ran away from them both that night, it seemed. And while that would have not fazed them some years before, Ásdís had put a definite end to the all-nighters Tony sometimes had pulled in the lab, or the long hours Loki had read and tried to work new spells.

Now? They felt wrecked, and looked the part. Dark rings under their eyes were the proof, red-rendered eyes, limbs like lead, and the constant need to yawn annoyed them.

They succumbed to their tiredness shortly before someone hammered on the door with big fists, startling them awake, feeling even more tired than before.

“Kill him.”, Tony muffled into Ásdís hair.

“Later.”, Loki grunted in response and closed his eyes again.

Thor banged his fists against the wood once again.

“Wake up! Brothers, you are going to be late for Breakfast!”

“Fuck off!”, the engineer whined pathetically, but it was too late – their daughters were stirring, Dizzy yawning and rubbing her eyes before smiling happily and kissing both her parents wetly on their cheeks, Noelle mewling and cooing while playing with Loki's hair, curiously tugging at the strands she could reach.

“Will he go away if we're silent?”, Tony mumbled, one eye cracked open to gaze tiredly to his husband, who frowned and drew down his perfect brows in the blatant show of annoyance.

“Has he ever?”

“Daddy! Stand up! Uncle Tor's here!”, their very awake daughter then yelled from the foot of the bed, giggling ripping away the blankets from their feet, more laughter bubbling up when both cringed and drew in their feet to conserve whatever warmth they had.

“Papa!”, she huffed out between two bouts of laughter, rounding the bed before she tugged at Loki's arm. Noelle turned her head curiously at the loud noise and smiled brilliantly when she recognized her sister, the adorable toothless grin that Ásdís returned with her shiny white teeth.

“Good morning, Ella! I missed you so, so much!”, she said, voice lowered, and proceeded to place a wet kiss to the baby's cheek, who answered with a flailing hand that Dizzy grabbed without a second thought.

If he weren't so damn tired, Loki would have definitely pulled his oldest close to cuddle her into the next millennium, but he really was in no condition to do anything more than chuckle mildly.

“Loki! Rise!”, Thor demanded merrily, “Mother and Father await us!”

“I swear if he does not shut up this second I will try my luck a fourth time.”, the sorcerer grumbled, sitting up – a cumbersome affair – and shifting Noelle so she would not slip from his grasp. “Killing him should not be so damn hard.”

“Coming, Big Guy! Hold your horses!”, Tony answered instead with a sluggish grin, rubbing his eyes in the attempt to wake up a bit more, then assaulting their smirking child with wide arms, pulling Ásdís up to his chest and afterwards peppered her face with smooches until she tried to escape and wriggle out of his arms, laughing wildly.

After a very quick trip to the bathroom they left the bedroom, being greeted with Thor's bright blue eyes, merrily twinkling, his big arms already open for Dizzy, who took the bait and rushed off to hug him as tightly as she could.

“Oh!”, he exclaimed with a chuckle. “I recognize this grip as Sif's!”

“It was boring. Sif showed me how to be scary!”

“Just my luck.”, Loki droned.

 

 

“You look like you had a good night.”, Natasha winked upon their arrival. Loki shot her a withering glare when he sat down besides Jane, both toddlers in their respective mother's lap, already cooing and fully concentrated just on the other.

“I've slept all but ten minutes before my dearest brother decided to barge in like a horde of bilgesnipe. And no, whatever you now think would have been not at all the reason – there were two children present.”

“Why the insomnia, then?”

“We had a visitor.”

All eyes turned to Tony, who shrugged and added another spoonful of leaves to his already blacker than black tea to get all the caffeine he could syphon somehow. Loki yawned behind his hand.

“Turned up in the middle of the night and left shortly before Thor demanded our presence. We were not overly eager to fall asleep while Death personified stood across the room.”

Silence.

“Death.”

“The same that came when we defeated Thanos.”

“Yup. Seems like Loki is her goldfish.”

“I'm not her goldfish, you foolish man.”, the sorcerer grit out before jamming a tartlet into his mouth with a sour expression.

“You totally are. She's the reason he's still alive.”, Tony explained to the rest, still speechless and with mouths agape in some instances.

“Wait. What the hell happened yesterday?”, Steve wanted to know, finally, and it was a shame, for crying out loud, that the engineer was too tired to make any witty remark about the cursing.

“Well, Loki has a shiny new scar, thanks to Algrim, starting somewhere here-” (tipping his arc reactor) “- reaching to somewhere around here.” (his hand made a subtle curve down to his lower ribs, left side of his chest)

“I take it that this was no mere graze.”, Bruce asked, prompting Loki to snort.

“Mother, would you do me the favour and take Ásdís to your gardens – I hid Snipey somewhere there, and I want to know if she is able to find it with the notes I have prepared.”

Grinning mischievously, he kissed his daughter on the head, her eyes lighting up – apparently she had done this before.

“Oh no, not another of your scavenger hunts! I swear, she's getting too smart.”

“What's the first hint?”, Dizzy wanted to know, eagerly leaning over to her Papa.

“Beware of the hanging snakes.”

It didn't take them twenty seconds to leave. Loki sighed, looking at the now closed door. The child was gone. No reason to hold back any kind of information.

“Algrim turned himself into one of the Kursed when he realized we had an advantage. And while I searched for a point to attack, I missed that he had grown quite the claws. He ripped apart my thorax, and quite possibly every organ that lay between the ribs and my spine.”

“That was an amount of blood I will hopefully never ever see again. And an image I'd like to forget soon.”, Tony said, shuddering when he remembered.

“That should have killed you.”

“It did – I don't remember it clear, but I know I was too far gone to come back on my own. Death refused me. Once again, might I add, as she seems to twist and contort my life line as a hobby.”

“The Aether killed him, two years ago, and Death decided he was too much of an entertainment to kick the bucket. And then she put the Fear of God in the Stone whenever it encountered Loki in his Aesir skin – because she thought it would add to the fun. And make him perhaps a tiny bit more safe.”

Thor had blanched. His face was a sickly shade of a pale pink, he would definitely shake in his boots were he not the God of Thunder. Odin, too, did not look overly pleased with this revelation.

“She has found a liking to you. This could be cataclysmic.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps she told the truth and will turn her eyes away from me as soon as I start to get boring. I do not know, and to be honest, I want to forget it. I cannot help it, I will certainly not stand up against her and demand she mind her own business – I know who not to cross in this universe. We only wanted to tell you so we all are on the same page. And, as she so generously told me – I am neither invincible nor immortal. Any fatal wound or even accident could be my last. I can't and I won't rely on her help.”

“And now that that's out of the way...”, the engineer spoke up, face a mix of merry and mischievous features, trained firmly on his husband.

Uh-oh. That did not bode well.

“... and as you so generously informed me of that gigantic revulsion you have against Asgardian rites and customs – I think I'll use the promise of you doing whatever I want until I have enough and ask you to marry me after Asgardian standard. I accept the consent, no answer needed, thank you very much.”

Loki had never seen a more smug face in all his life – not even in a mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think. And what you expect ;)
> 
> And of course, a huge thank you for all my dear readers!! I'd be nothing without you :D


	32. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Impossibly much fluff.

 

 

It really should not have come as such a surprise – Tony had asked about the wedding customs rather regularly, Loki remembered.

Speaking of surprise – neither Odin nor Thor seemed taken off-guard, the older one smiling fondly while trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

“Not to disappoint you, darling, but you do realize that this situation is quite like in old Midgardian novels and history – you asking for my hand and all that.”

Please, as much as he loved this crazy man, the last thing in the universe Loki wanted to be was the centre of attention of all the Realms when he would be forced to attest his most intimate feelings for another being.

This would not be over with a quick “I do” like the ones on Midgard – on Asgard, there was magic involved, and a binding enforced a blessing from the Fates and Norns in equal measure, as had happened with Jane and Thor on their wedding a year prior. The deeper the feelings, the deeper the bond, and the harder it would be to break said bond.

Not to mention all the rigorous (read: draconic) formalities they would have to heed.

“That starts with asking my parents for their blessing beforehand.”, he added when the pleased grin did not falter, but seemed to get even bigger and more sure.

By the Nine, what had Tony done?

“Lokes, I have an insider living in my house – you don't think I would not ask Thor how to do this the proper way?”

The god was momentarily too stunned to respond. Snickers arose at the table, even Hogun could not hide one of his very rare smiles at Loki's blatantly shocked face.

“I'm already promised your hand in union, agreement signed and sealed, and I swear I never thought I'd say that in my life, it feels like buying cattle. Is that really how it is here? Anyway, the deal is done, we just need to set a date.”

Drat.

 

 

He had not objected. Loki had bitten his lip, had nodded with a sigh and a pleading gaze that practically screamed 'Please don't do that to me', but all Tony had done was grin brighter and snicker.

The god would have never agreed if he had not things to right between them, and the blasted engineer knew it.

Well, one snide remark Loki could not contain.

“I assume you want me to be female? Just like the first time?”

“Whatever you feel comfortable with, Lokes, I'm fine marrying you either way. Again. I'd have taken you as a man before, too, but there was that tiny little issue with your identity.”

So now he was perched upon a windowsill with his brother, the latter displaying the same merry face he had all day while he asked of Loki what kind of vows he would speak – a rather serious matter, as the vows were uttered under a geas that would survey and verify the words with the underlying emotions – and there was a plethora of vows he would have to choose from. Ranging from most plain ones (mostly used when marrying for fortune and fame) to soul-shaking pledges that would render Natasha harmless and in tears with the depth of feelings.

“I have fourteen more days time to choose, I will not rush this.”

“Fourteen days is nothing when looking forward to marry your soulmate.”

“I'm _not_ looking forward to this atrocious display of sentiment in front of every living being in the Realms.”, Loki hissed. “Besides, I am already married to him, why do I have to do it again?”

Thor shrugged, staring out of the window, his smile now fainter as if in remembrances.

“Because it will make him happy. Because he needs to prove to himself you think him worthy, prove every living being that he is the one you will take as your partner, as your husband, as your other. And because you have promised you'd do it, of course. Do not make me think you a man who does not hold his word.”

Belated, Loki recognized that he had not protested at Tony being called his soulmate. To be honest – he probably was.

The whine that tore itself out of his throat was pathetic at best, making Thor chuckle, even more so when he caught sight of the disgruntled, pale face that tried to stare a hole into the wall behind him.

“Now, Brother, I know you are a hopeless romantic at heart. And I know Anthony is not quite that sentimental as you are – spice the ceremony up a bit.”

“Thor, this is serious! I can not disturb a binding, not even my own!”

How in all the Worlds could the Oaf even think of sabotaging or even slightly ridiculing this proceedings? They were sacred, almost holy, disturbing one would not do him any favours. The thought alone filled Loki with unease. It would render the blessed union a jest, and if he was urged to swear his life to Tony like this, he would make sure there was left nothing to coincidence. No, his own marriage ceremony would be perfect by all means, because if Tony really wanted this, Loki would prepare the most flawless one that would ever be seen.

“See, you are not that much against it.”

“I am not contrite because we will be wed, I am abhorring the idea because of whom will attend. A formal union I would have not minded being witnessed by Asgard, but this? This is too intimate to share with anyone.”

The blonde looked at him, indulging and lenient, and Loki felt like he somehow missed the point.

“You've already decided what to say, haven't you? It was never a question, you knew from the start.”

And now he felt caught red-handed.

So yes, perhaps he had put thought into the idea. Perhaps he had imagined it one or two times.

(Or more.)

Perhaps Loki had not wanted to share his lover. His mate in mind, heart and soul.

“I don't want them to see. He's mine.”

A second of silence.

“What if the Fates decide I'm not worthy of _him_?”

And yes, perhaps that was the real issue at hand – he would be the one to offer the words to the Fates and the Norns, and they would deem them true or false, and therefore decide how the ceremony would end. Not few had wished to see the binding be rejected when Thor had brought in his bride, eager to see her proven mismatched to their Prince, and Loki was sure there would be even more animosity to his wedding, to see him fail his betrothed, to get broken apart when the binding spell would determine them misguided.

“Oh Loki. Not once have I seen a more perfect match than you two. Have no fear – trust in him, and trust in yourself.”

Granting the older one a doubtful glance, the sorcerer kicked his boot against Thor's in a try to show him how errant these thoughts were, rousing only laughter from his throat.

“You will see the truth in my words soon enough. So, about that spice I want you to add...”

 

 

“You sneaky bastard.”

“Learned from the best, Babe.”

That infuriating smirk was probably etched permanently on Tony's face.

“I loathe you.”

“Sure you do. Come on, this will be fun! Just imagine all the people, the party, and I'll get you forever! Is it true that we can't divorce when a certain level of attachment is provided?”

“Yes.”, Loki answered drily.

“Awesome. How much is base level? Gimme some data.”

With that, the engineer had draped himself over Loki's lap, straddling slim hips and legs while displaying a rather blatant show of dominance over the other.

“Thor has told you of the different vows and meanings?” - a definite nod - “the lowest form of attachment that will be accepted for a life bond is friendship, what would equal the more emotional vows. I would think 'I take you for my husband/wife in devotion and kindness' would suffice.”

Tony snickered.

“That's lame.”

“It's friendship.”

“Lame. What will you take?”

At that, the Trickster laughed huskily and gripped the toned ass on his lap to pull his husband closer, lips ghosting over his neck.

“It is forbidden to speak the vows to the intended before the actual wedding. You will hear them after you have spoken yours.”

“Ooooh, I get to be the man!”

Thor really had put effort in his explanations. Loki would refrain from telling Tony that this meant submitting in front of the whole universe to a mere human, equalling debasement for most Aesir – not that he would have any second thought regarding that, he was beyond aesir standards after all that had happened. At the very least, it would initiate a proper scandal. He looked forward to that.

“Yes, you will take the male part throughout the ceremony, whatever look I choose to go with. I have no desire to take the lead.”

“Awesome.”, Tony grinned again and sealed Loki's lips with a heated kiss. “Now, I've had two weeks of insane Norse God in my vicinity and no touchies or grabbies, and I need to remedy that soon. That means right this instant.”

The black haired man did not get the chance to answer as his mouth was assaulted. When he was released a long time later, he had barely time to suck in a breath before their lips clashed again.

 

 

“Sir, Miss Potts has asked to be informed upon your return.”

“Yeah, call her, J. Get her over.”

“Auntie Pep's coming!”, Ásdís whooped, throwing her hands in the air while running inside the penthouse to fall onto the couch. “Has she missed me, too?”

“Honey, we thought you were gone forever.”, Steve explained for the sixth time. “Of course she has missed you. She'll probably faint from the shock of seeing you.”

“That means I'm scary, right?”

Loki absolutely had to grin when she trained her green-brown, innocent eyes upon the soldier, proud of her newly acquired skills. Steve smiled and tousled her hair.

“I have no doubt of that.”

“Daddy said Nattie and Papa can show me how to be scary to protect Ella.”

“Oh, they can. I'm fully with your Father in that.”

Ásdís smiled brightly, bouncing on the upholstery like the three-year-old with too much energy she was, exited to be back home.

While the Avengers settled down besides her, Loki and Jane settled the babes down in their 'corner' of the large living room, a soft rug, lined with a higher bulge around it so the children would not start rolling out and fall down stairs or the likes. There were rattles, plushies and toys strewn around, everything soft so they could not hurt themselves. As they had come to know, both Noelle and Éldi would be fine as long as they could see each other, but that did not keep the two Mum's from sitting down besides the baby-corner and watch them tug playfully and experimentally at each other's clothing with glee.

“Can we please draft up a contract that these two have to marry and freak them out with it when they're old enough?”, Tony asked when he had followed the tugging contest for some minutes.

“No, we will not, and get this notion out of your head asap, if you please.”

“Man, Jane, you're a spoilsport.”

Passing five more minutes with lighthearted bickering, Jarvis announced that Pepper was on her way up, ETA twenty seconds, with her conveniently being in the building before and just finishing her urgent business downstairs.

The lift gave off a 'ping', Ásdís stormed forward with a cheery “Pep!” to jump into her arms, the poor CEO caught her out of reflex, but irritated as to why there was a child in her arms.

Then her mind jumped back to working order and she shrieked.

Ásdís laughed and clung tighter to the redhead.

“STARK!”, she screamed, torn between letting go or hug her closer, clearly overwhelmed and taxed by the situation. Tony jumped up to race forward, arms already reaching out.

“Don't let her fall! I really don't want to deal with a bruised bottom.”

“Stark, there is a dead girl in my arms.”

“Nah, she's pretty alive. Don't freak out and _don't drop her_.”

Pepper was pale as a ghost and shaking when she finally could pass the girl along to her Father, taking a quick step back. Tony sat Ásdís down to the floor again and mumbled for her to rush off to Loki, and she did so with a smug grin to the CEO.

Her chest heaved, and tears had formed in the corners of her eyes. Tony sighed and pressed a swift kiss to her forehead before pulling her in for a hug.

“Could you please explain that to me?”, she said with a strained voice, visibly trying to get herself under control again. “Why is there a dead girl in the Loft?”

He chuckled and kissed her head again.

“Loki's an absolute asshole and tricked us into believing she died to plant a false path into Algrims head so he would think to have won already. She's alive. It's no illusion, it's no dream, she's really alive. Calm down.”

Her fingernails raked across the thin shirt he wore when she could not stop her hands from tightening into fists, and a shuddering breath had her body tremble before she could reign herself in.

“Everything's fine, Pep.”, he whispered.

The red-head tilted her head, just so she could look further into the room and witness Ásdís climb onto Clint's lap, eagerly showing some strange hand-moves to Natasha who tried to mimic them.

And Loki, who watched the scene with a fond look, an ease in his whole posture she had not seen for months. Years.

“You did it. He's gone. Algrim is dead.”

“Fuck yes, Loki mowed him down good.”, the engineer huffed out with a laugh. “It was over before I knew what had happened. He should get an Academy Award for that. He really had us going. Thor was roped in, but we others? Believed every little action.”

Her eyes widened when he gave her the short version of the tale that had unfolded the day before, mouth hanging open.

Finishing with a shrug and '...and then I hurled his ass back to Asgard.', Tony offered Pepper a shaky smile, which she returned crooked and lopsided.

“You really can't live without him, huh?”

“Won't even think about it. And that's the reason why I decided to force-marry him in all the asgardian glory I can manage to pull off.”

Pep laughed. “He detests being the centre of attention!”

“All the more reason to do it.”

“Sure that this is real and no trick?”

A heavy sigh wormed itself out of Tony, and he turned his head to look at his friends and family, concentrated on Ásdís and her demonstration of what Sif had taught her, still snuggling with his favourite CEO.

“I know my kid. And I know Loki when he uses too much of his magical energy. She's been around for thirty six hours – by now, my dearest Liesmith would be shaking like a leaf with the strain. I know, we once tested that. Dizzy is back. She's well, she's alive, and she's fine. What can I say, I married a God of Chaos, of Mischief and of Lies. And hey, I'll get my payback soon enough. Clear your schedule for Thursday next week until Monday evening – we're going to have a wedding Asgardian style.”

 

 

Galaxies away, one might even say in an altogether different dimension, Lady Death leaned back in her very comfortable wing chair, one finger tracing the rim of the glass of wine she nursed from, the other softly carding through the thin hair dusted over the skull of her latest spoil.

“This will be highly entertaining, do you not think so, Pet?”, she asked, voice sweet as honey, an easy smile on her red lips.

The creature to her feet hummed in approval.

“Glad you agree. Look close, dearest, this is what you could have become had you not set your pretty little head on wooing me so stubbornly after I showed myself to you.”

Her perfectly manicured nails scraped along the scalp of the Titan, not quite hurting, but not quite pleasant, either, a reminder to his mad quest that had sent the universe into a tumble of chaos and unbalance.

“I am so very glad you did not break him, Pet. It would have been a true shame. All this dramatics in his life. It is delightful.”

Thanos hummed another affirmative. Death smirked while taking a sip of wine, eyes fixed on the illusion of Midgard.

“He has come a long way. See to it that you mature a bit as well, Darling. I would hate to be forced to let you go again.”, she purred and raked her nails over his scalp once more.

His soft flinch just added to her amusement.

She really looked forward to that wedding.

Knowing Loki, it would be quite the jamboree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T.T Just one chapter more. I'll miss this. I'll miss you.  
> Ah well, that just means I have to write more fiction. You just wait. I'm not completely done. Could take a while, though. Be patient.  
> Thank you all so much for the continued support!!  
> You rock!!


	33. What lies Ahead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Tony has been dreaming of for months. The whole universe will know Loki is his'.

 

 

“I can't do this.”

Thor laughed.

“Shut up! I can't do this.”

“Calm down, Brother. Everything will go as we have planned.”

“What if the Fates reject us? What if he's disgusted? He agreed to marry _me_ , not some--”

“What are you so afraid of?”

Letting his mouth fall shut with an audible 'click', Loki turned around to face his brother, all regal and relaxed, leaning on the wall.

“You love each other so dearly and sincere that not even you tricking him could break that. You are already bonded by all means but Rites, do you not see that? What you share is one life, one soul, one heart, parted only by the boundaries of flesh and bone.”

Oh by the Norns how Loki wished this to be true.

“There is nothing to fear. You will be united today under Asgard's sky, and the Fates will bless your bond as they have done with Jane and I. And I dare say you will barely notice the difference because you already share everything with him.”

It was beautiful to watch Loki's features soften. The sorrow that had been etched onto it, the fear, the anxiety, the deep nervousness that tormented him the whole day finally wore off, being replaced by hope and the thrill of anticipation Thor had hoped to see for quite some time now.

“Such words from your mouth, Brother? 'Tis a day of wonder.”

“Your talent had to rub off some time. It has taken too long already.”, the blonde replied with a grin and clasped his hand on the younger ones shoulder.

Loki straightened, and Thor once again could not tear his gaze from the man he called family.

Clothing a mix of the traditional armour and a woman's tunic, the deep blue a sudden and unexpected change that would rouse much interest in the bystanders as well as in their friends and family. The black hair carefully braided to give purchase for the antique gold band that was placed on his head instead of the heavy helmet, an official statement of the sorcerer that he did not care about any of Asgard's standards. His hands were shaking softly, and Thor smiled gently and with the most fond gaze he could muster.

“I have never been more proud to call you my brother, Loki. I have seldom seen a man or woman offer oneself to another like you will do. You are an image of assurance and trust, not only in yourself, but in the people around you.”

There was a shaky laugh emitted from the throat of a still very nervous Trickster.

“I am about to puke, that's how assured I am. Oh Norns, I want it to be over.”

“Are you getting cold feet?”, Thor asked, the first second earnest, then a grin so wide it almost split his skull appeared and grew on his face that Loki wished he would fall over and die.

“Very funny, Thor, I am _dying_ of laughter.”

Well. His snark still worked.

A bell sounded.

Loki almost fell over his own feet when he spun around in a frenzy.

Thor laughed again.

 

 

“That's the signal.”, Volstagg stated the obvious.

Ásdís was busy darting around the room and watch her dress blow in the drift she created, wearing her coronet again, and she really looked like the princess she was in the dark golden fabric that had not only her, but Noelle enchanted (the latter occupied with tugging on her own garbs – same colour, same fabric, only the best for the two little maidens).

“Well, let's go. Wouldn't want to let them wait.”

“This would be the first time for you to be on time.”

“Hey, it's my own wedding! I can be on schedule if I want to!”

Natasha snickered and shooed him out. “Don't make Loki more of a nervous wreck than he already is.”

“Not my fault that he thinks this could backfire!”

“Could it?”

“Nah. I think we've proven already that we're practically attached at the hips. Heck, even if he should be right and there will nothing sparkly happen later, I don't fucking care. I'd make my own sparkles, because he's mine, and I'm not ever letting him go again.”

“Daddy said a bad word!”, Ásdís giggled before repeating it once for good measure.

“Pumpkin, don't you ever say that one in front of your Papa, he'll kill me.”

 

 

“Blue definitely is your colour.”

It had taken Tony almost twenty seconds to get that out after blatantly staring at Loki when they met in front of the room they would be bound in.

“It's too much, isn't it?”, the sorcerer whined and rubbed his forehead. “What was I thinking.”

“No!”, Tony yelled out and hastily grabbed both hands of his husband to hinder them from working any magic that would change the picture. “Gods no. You're gorgeous. And you're offering that to me – how could I want you any other way?”

Loki drew up a single dark eyebrow in his show of disbelief.

“Okay, the eyes are perhaps straining it a bit. No!”, he the shouted again as he saw that they flickered back to the more common green. “I like it. Really. You're breathtaking. I cannot wait to show you off.”

“You're a poor liar.”

“I'm not lying! Gods Loki, have you any idea how spectacular you look? You'll blow them all away. That dress-armour? It's fantastic. It's the proverbial 'Fuck you' to Asgard, and it's so _you_. And your _hair_. Have I ever told you that it was your hair that attracted me the most that first time I saw you as Solveig? I think I have a hair-fetish. I'm so close to actually ruffle through it and destroy all the hard work your maids must have had with it.”

Loki snickered.

“Dizzy will be bubbling with joy when she sees your crown. You know she's copying you every chance she gets.”

“Aw, do I detect jealousy?”

“Dream on, Prancer. Now come on and give me a kiss.”

The Prince did, and he was positively surprised that Tony did not flinch back despite the sudden coldness. Instead, he chuckled into the kiss and let his tongue lap once over the cold lower lip of his lover.

“Like kissing a popsicle.”, he grinned. “And coming in my favourite flavour as well.”

“You idiot.”, Loki huffed out, smiling.

“Have we really never kissed with you like that? It's a real shame. It's a bit necrophiliac, I give you that, but hey, whatever. I'm always running too hot anyway.”

“Not to disturb you, but they are ready.”, Thor cut in as discreetly as he could muster, with a blatant cough and a wide grin to his Brother. The 'I told you so.' was etched on his face with a smug smile.

Rolling his eyes, the sorcerer took his place to Tony's right, nervousness rising again as he was faced with the gigantic doors that would open to a hall full of people who Loki was not sure were there because they wanted to see them united or not – much like with Thor.

He straightened.

This was not about them. This was about Tony. And Loki would make damn sure he would have his Asgardian wedding. Should the Fates just try to deny them the bond – he'd search them out himself and enforce it if he had to.

No one would take this man from his side ever again.

 

 

The chatter died down as soon as the doors creaked open, thousands of faces curiously peeking through the gap.

It grew eerily silent. Loki smirked with the most smug expression Tony had ever seen when the people recognized their positions and the honest to god Frost Giant that entered the room, followed by their Crown Prince who had an equally complacent grin on his lips.

“You evil sod.”, the engineer laughed huskily, all the while leading his lover through the hall, perfectly taking the role he had been given, both men blowing a kiss to their oldest daughter when she waved at them in the attempt to get their attention, smile growing.

“And it wasn't even my own idea.”

“No way. Thor?”, Tony gave back, honestly surprised. “Really?”

“Really.”, the god snorted lowly. “Who'd have thought, huh?”

“You're rubbing off.”

“Finally. I tried to corrupt him for ages now.”

Natasha and Pepper rolled their eyes in perfect synch when the couple did not cease their whispering – they probably thought both Tony and Loki took this ceremony far more lightly than they should.

“That druid certainly looks annoyed already.”

“It's called a 'goði' – remember it.”

“Whatever.”

Soft murmurs were heard when Loki took the place reserved for the women that were to be bonded, not once seeming to sway to the other side where Tony was going to stand, a clear signal that he knew exactly what he did and was doing for all to see.

He could practically _hear_ them judge him again with these dreaded words.

As soon as the goði had spoken the first prayer to the Norns, Loki resumed his Aesir looks in a swift whirl of colour, making Tony pout.

“Aw, come on.”

“Hush.”

“You're not ashamed, are you?”

The goði rolled his eyes while waiting for the men to quiet down again.

Loki shrugged nonchalant.

“It would not be true to stay Jotun through the entire ceremony, as I am one as much as the other. I refrain from shifting into the female body just because it would be a bitch to change the outfit.”

And, deciding that they had interrupted their own wedding long enough, he nodded once with a sweet smile to the poor man officiating the whole debacle, who hurriedly continued before he could be cut off again.

“Awful lot of praying, isn't it?”, the engineer muttered some twenty minutes later, Loki snickered with a wide grin, prompting a glare from the goði.

“The Fates will hear your vows.”, he then said, officially and obviously annoyed.

Tony effectively paled a hue at that.

Loki was not very confident at that display all of a sudden.

“I... actually, I don't have vows.”

Oh. Gods.

The easy smile fell from Loki's lips as murmurs broke out all around them. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Thor lose his composure as well.

“All these stupid words didn't fit. Not even a mix. They're just words, and how could I possibly sway the Liesmith, the Wordsmith himself to me with mere words? Not gonna happen.”

Loki was completely speechless. Simply stunned. He wasn't sure, but his mouth could have been slightly agape.

He blinked and swallowed dry when Tony began to fumble around with his shirt.

“So, instead of words, I'll give you this.”

A click, a hiss, and the constant glow from his chest wandered until Tony had freed it from the fabric (what a convenient thing the deep red tunic was laced at the top.), taking Loki's hands and placing the arc reactor in them. They shook a bit.

“You literally have my heart and life in your hands. This is my vow. I'm yours, with all I have to give.”

The warm, calloused fingers were gentle while cupping his own, Loki thought, staring into Tony's face, not knowing what to say as he felt tears creep up in his eyes, a new smile growing.

“You crazy man.”, he said with a soft laugh and a shake of his head, carefully taking a step forward and bringing the reactor back to its place, smoothing the fabric over the blue glow with a flat hand afterwards.

“Ék elska þik.”, Tony finished with a grin, earning another chuckle.  
“How have I deserved you?”

The goði cleared his throat, pointedly, so Loki bit his lower lip once in a spark of tension, returning to his place and pressing his hands together for a second.

They glowed softly, and when he opened them again, there was a black gem the size of an egg in his hands, glowing softly with all the colours of the rainbow not unlike an opal, but very much alive and pulsing.

“This is my vow to you, my heart, my soul, my life.”

Frigga gasped, along with a few other woman.

Tony raised a brow and smirked. “That thing looks exactly like I imagine your head works.”

Loki snorted and reversed the action from before, placing the stone into Tony's hands and cupping them.

“It _is_ exactly that – the manifestation of my life, my magic. I am as dependant to it as you are to the arc reactor. My life lies in your hands quite as literally.”

There was a fond shine in his lovers eyes, a deep love and admiration as the brown irises went wet as well, and Tony bowed forward to brush the gem gently with his lips.

Loki felt the touch so deep in his bones that he believed to be shattered and being rebuild from the feeling of being loved like that.

“I'll kill you for making me cry like a girl.”, he huffed out, and Tony chuckled just as wetly.

“Look who's talking.”

The following prayer washed over them without them noticing, fixated solely on the other person, the one they pledged themselves to, nothing else important.

Until there was a strange pulse correlating with their heartbeats, something foreign and new.

Loki gasped, right hand flying to his sternum, but the feeling was gone as soon as it had come, leaving behind a constant thrum of warmth under his hand.

Tony had shuddered once, his whole body going rigid before muscles tensed, rubbing his hands together and massaging his fingers with a frown.

“Care to explain why I'm all itchy? Feels like every single inch of my skin went dead.”, he mumbled before suddenly going still. “And now it's gone. Creepy.”

Loki grinned at him and pulled him into a hug and kiss.

Thor and Clint started to cheer.

The rest of the hall joined in slowly, almost reserved. Ha, Loki had known they were here just to see him fail.

“Please explain to me why I'm feeling like there are ants under my skin.”, Tony proceeded to ask when the god had pulled back again.

Grinning, he watched as the goði nodded once and took a step back, to make room for Odin.

“Later.”

“We have seen two people be united today.”, the Allfather spoke, the subdued applause dying down instantly. “I have given my child, my own, to this man, and offer my blessing and protection upon them.”

More words followed, but they were not important to either Loki or Tony. The men grinned at each other, and the older one was so looking forward to tell his husband (again) what exactly they had done just now.

The bear hug Thor forced upon their bodies yanked them from their love stupor, laughing and booming at them and for a short second, Loki thought now he'd finally squeeze him to death.

“Brothers! What a bond you have to share!”

“No clue, enlighten me, Big Guy.”, the engineer chuckled, and Thor set to it with a merry laugh.

“It is as I have told Loki -”

“- the connecting of two souls, practically.”, Frigga intercepted, smiling proudly at both men. “Possibly the strongest bond to have ever been created.”

“In like ever or is that just the classification?”

The sorcerer rolled his eyes while descending the stairs, tugging Tony along. “What does it matter? Important is that we have been granted it.”

“Did you honestly doubt it? Come on. We're Loki and Tony Stark – we always get what we want.”

A snicker left them. “Possibly.”

Ásdís jumped up to them, demanding to be lifted into Loki's arms while smiling brightly at them both, making Loki laugh out loud when she flashed him red eyes for only a moment.

“Such desperation, darling. You like to cause mischief, don't you?”

The gaze from under her lashes said more than words would ever be able to. He shook his head with a grin.

“Go on. I will follow your lead.”

“Yes!”, she squealed and let her magic dye her skin the same cobalt blue her Papa had been, who resumed his Jotun look once again. Tony had fetched Noelle while the rest of his family had been discussing colour changes, returning to his place besides Loki, gently bopping his hips against his husband's.

“So, that Stone was your soul, am I right?”

“Something like that. It is quite difficult to explain to someone without the inborn capability to work sorcery. A mage can summon it, and return it to the body at will. Usually, they are not separated from the body as to not hurt the mage. They are fragile and delicate.”

“How were they discovered?”

Loki shrugged and kissed Ásdís before setting her down again, both still blue and red-eyed, earning a rather shocking lot of staring faces that did not bother them at all.

“In a situation much like this one, I believe – to offer the most vulnerable part of oneself to another being. To give away any strength, weakness and ability and lay it in another one's hands forever.”

Tony could not let this go without pressing a fond and gentle kiss on blue lips.

“Yours was pulled from you once before.”, he observed. “There were faint, silver lines.”

“No, it's...”, Loki sighed, a bit frustrated. “You've said it yourself – it's my soul, an image of what I am. What has happened to me. Each silver line is a wound, a scar, if you will, and each light an emotion. When you touched it, it reverberated in me, so completely I believed to break and be put back together. We are bonded so thoroughly that neither life nor death may ever part us again, now.”

Tony blinked.

“The buzzing under your skin is my magic, love. As I am able to feel the hum of your arc reactor, you are able to feel my magic. Perhaps even tap into it with a bit of training.”

Noelle cooed up at them, curiously staring at Loki before smiling her toothless grin and popping one of his blue fingers into her mouth when she recognized him, chewing on the digit with vigour.

“That's awesome. Requires getting used to, but awesome. Lokes, life will be _glorious_.”

Well, that would be nice.

Sweeping Tony into his arms, the Trickster claimed his lips again, carefully avoiding squishing their little baby-girl who was still suckling on the cold finger, and just enjoyed the moment, one ear tuned for Ásdís and her feet running around.

Yes – they could be glorious.

He was looking forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bawls her eyes out* I don't wanna! Don't! This is not the eeeeeeeeeend!  
> ...  
> sadly, though, it probably is. Okay, I have so many ideas for some "behind the scenes" - things, and two of them are on their way to be finished, so the wait will not be so long, but still.  
> Here we have come to an end. What their future will bring is not sure, but I think there could be more kids, more nieces/nephews, more enemies, more love.  
> Definitely more talkative Ásdís. And Noelle and Éldi, once they're older.  
> I thank you so much for staying with me through this whole adventure. You were engine and nourishment for me, have fueled this story beyond my wildest imaginations and have proven to me that it is possible to reach people without once looking them in the eyes.  
> Thank you for the stunning feedback with over 300comments, 199kudos, 22Bookmarks, and over 6600clicks so far.
> 
> I hope this Journey has made you as happy, sad, emotionally driven and shocked as it has made me. What started as the idea for a one shot has spiraled up to a three-fic-installment with more plot I ever thought possible, with twists and turns I hadn't imagined, and I was seriously challenged.  
> Keep your eyes open for the short-stories - they will add information, fun&joy, a wee bit of smut ;), and understanding to all three stories in this line.
> 
> Again - thank you so much. I am glad to have you all as readers. If you left a comment or not, you are all important. Thanks.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back! :D  
> What a start, huh? I was pretty surprised myself as they suddenly went all smutty. Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it ;)  
> Have a super nice weekend! The next part will be up on the 21th.


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